Write Kind of Wrong
by Egyptian Rose
Summary: Yami, new Editor of KC Pub. Has to make sure every writer becomes better. He starts with Yugi, romance writer. Yami shows Yugi just what true romance is and what really sells. As Yugi writes a world reawakens. Darkness threatens their perfect love story.
1. Captain My Captain

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Warnings: Strong language, Yaoi

**---Write Kind of Wrong---**

**-Captain My Captain-**

"What is this swill?" Yami Atemu tossed a neatly stacked manuscript across the room and glared as it fluttered against the wall and fell to the ground with a thud. "Is this all these writers can produce?" he glared. "This isn't what sells. I hate losing money." He glared down at a small man with a notebook. "I need the names of the authors we are currently publishing."

"Yes sir." The man took notes as Yami spoke and ranted around the stacks of manuscripts on his new desk. A new job and an all new set of problems, Yami had been offered the job by Seto Kaiba himself, to pull his publishing division out of the hole and bring in the most income. Yami was the best editor in Japan, ruthless and strict. No mistake missed his eyes, no word in the dictionary was new to him, and he was determined not to let these writers ruin everything about the written word.

"First I need to talk to the Romance writers." Yami looked at the romance stack and picked up the three-hundred-paged manuscript and snorted at the first few lines. "Is he the only one?"

"I believe so, Sir. Mr. Motou." The stubbly man looked up at Yami with fearful eyes. "He is, actually pretty good."

"I think he can do better. Sure that shit was fine back in the nineties but this is a new time. He needs to write something hotter." Yami's eyebrows collected in the center of his forehead and he glowered down at the man. "Why am I telling you this? Just set up a meeting with him."

"Yes, Sir." The man stood at attention with his notepad and waited further instruction. Yami just looked at him and let out an annoyed sigh.

"Now, Jenkins!" Yami spat and the man wasted no time in getting out of the room. Yami sat at his new desk and shoved the manuscripts off listening to them crash in a flickering crash. Kaiba wanted him to bring the writers up to speed in two weeks. Yami snarled. Kaiba was certainly a dick. How was he supposed to bring these nothing's up to speed in that amount of time.

Jenkins stuck his head back in and swallowed hard seeing the mess around Yami's desk. "Sir, Yugi Motou seems to be out of town."

"Do I have to tell you how to do your job? Find out where he is and set up the meeting. Oh and send someone in here to clean up this mess. And send out rejection letters to all of the writers." Yami waved the small man off and turned in his chair to partake in the view outside his office. Jenkins exited the room and shut the door quietly.

Yami let out a breathily laugh of irony and smirked, the fifth floor, it was an insult and Kaiba knew it too. Well, not only would Yami create the greatest writers in the world, he would move to the top floor. Yami's eyes glided down to the calendar and circled the date with a thick red marker and licked his lips. Two weeks.

Yugi Motou looked up from his laptop and smiled at the scene before him, a handsome man was tossing a ball to a dog that effectively caught the ball in the air. He looked back at the screen and watched the curser blink before typing. He closed his eyes and put himself out in the lush green field and took a breath, he could smell the fresh green grass and sweet nectar of flowers all around him.

_The dog barked as his master tossed the ball to him, his paws kicking up blades of soft lush grass as he pranced through the air. A light breeze picked up and caressed the petals of the wild flowers, carrying their sweet aroma to…_

Yugi was ripped from his concentration at the sound of the fax machine crunching to life. Old piece of junk, Yugi thought. He let out a sigh; he hated getting faxes in his vacation home. He needed to think, to write, to be creative. He hit save on his computer and scooted over to the fax machine and ripped the paper from its mouth before it had a chance to finish and looks it over.

'New editor. Wants to meet with you. Beware of temper… Jenkins.'

Yugi read it again and blinked, why the heck did Jenkins write like he was in some sort of danger? His letters usually were lengthy and redundant but this… New editor? Yugi's mind shifted and his eyes grew. "What happened to Ryou?" he whispered and picked up the phone and dialed. It rang three times before Jenkins finally answered. "We have a new editor? What happened to Ryou?"

"Mr. Motou." Jenkins smiled, happy to hear his friendly voice on the other end. "Ryou decided to retire early. His boyfriend convinced him to leave."

"And when was someone planning on telling me this? I was going to come back to work on Monday and find a new man in Ryou's office? Man?"

"That's right."

"Right. Well anyway, what was that fax about?"

"Is that Mr. Motou?" a baritone voice ribboned its way through the phone and Yugi felt his heart flutter but ignored it.

"Yes, Sir." Jenkins answered and held the phone close, desperate to keep Yugi a little longer. Then the phone was snatched from his hands.

"If you are writing now, I suggest you stop before you waste more paper than you already have." Yami said in a cool but terrifying tone.

"Excuse me?" Yugi couldn't believe his ears, how dare this guy. Yugi worked hard to write his books, they were masterpieces and he had a huge fan base.

"We need to talk about your writing ability, you need to be here by tomorrow or you are fired." The line went dead and Yugi hung up the phone mechanically as shock enveloped him. Fired? Writing ability? Waste paper! Yugi glared at nothing and stalked back over to his laptop and began typing.

…_little did the man and dog know, their world was about to come to an abrupt and immediate end…_

Yugi shut his laptop down and closed the lid before packing it away, he grabbed his coat and the small sports bag he was living out of and headed out the door toward his car. He would be damned if he let some big shot editor tell him that his writing was a waste. Yugi was greatly proud of his work and he knew his books were literary works of art.

Yugi walked down the rubble road that lead to his summer house toward his rusted-orange red pick-up truck and tossed his bag in the back and climbed in setting his computer in the passenger's side and started the engine. He was happy when it roared to life on the first attempt. He backed out of the drive way and took the curved road back to town to fill up on gas. The drive back to Domino City would take a little over three hours.

As he drove the more he got to thinking of the new editor's arrogance, to think Yugi would drop everything just because he decided to up and call a meeting. And it made him angrier to know that it was exactly what he did but he couldn't let this prick talk about his work the way he did. There would be hell to pay. He stopped for gas and smiled when he caught a glimpse of honey blonde hair on the other side of the pump.

"Jounouchi?" Yugi called happily causing the blonde to peer around at him. "Hey."

"Aw, Hey, Yugi. I was just going up to see ya." A heavy Brooklyn accent fell from his pillowy pink lips. Yugi watched his lips move in fascination, he could see why Seto had fallen for him. "Seto hired a new editor."

"Yeah, I heard." Yugi ran a hand through his hair and glowered.

"Ah. I take it he called you, Yami that is."

"Y-Yami, Yami as in Yami Atemu, Yami?" Yugi's lips quivered and his heart raced. "Can't be."

"Yep. It is him. The great Yami Atemu."

"Holy crap." Yugi slumped against the door. "I have dreamed of him reading my books. He hates them."

"You don't know that?"

"He told me to stop writing, that I was wasting paper." Yugi looked back at his computer. "He's right. I'm not good enough."

"Hey, you can't let him get to you already. Maybe he wants to help."

"Yeah right."

"Anyway. Here's the scoop. Seto hired him in order to fire him. See he wants Yami to lose his reputation. If Yami fails to produce better writers then Seto will fire him and that will be the end of Yami's career. He has two weeks."

"That's impossible. It takes a month to get a new book on the shelves."

"I know. I don't get him sometimes." Jou stared off in a daydream. "He is hot though."

"Jesus, Jou, don't you think about anything else?"

"Food."

"Well I'm going back to Domino." He looked at Jou's sleek green '07 Corvette and sighed, "He spoils you. Why did he give you that?"

"He liked my hair that day."

"No offence but how does the mail boy get a Corvette and I'm stuck with this piece of crap."

"Duh, you screw the boss."

"Ugh, thanks for that image." Yugi pulled the pump from his truck and grabbed his receipt before climbing back in"

"Wanna race?"

"Screw you." Yugi glared. "I'll see you later." He started the engine and began his drive to Domino.


	2. Strawberry Pancakes

**--Strawberry Pancakes--**

Yugi's pick-up sputtered and choked as it made its way up the off ramp toward Domino City and Yugi could have sworn it was saying _'I think I can'_ up until it rolled to a stop_, 'I can't.'_ Yugi blinked a few times before stepping out of his truck slamming the door behind him. "You piece of Crap!" He kicked the front tire missing by inches only to have his toes come in contact with the hubcap. "Mother fu--" his curses were cut off by the smooth sound of a horn behind him.

"Glad I followed you. I didn't think that would make it this far." Jounouchi smiled handsomely as he stepped out of his corvette.

"What are you doing here?" Yugi sighed, rubbing his foot, not bothering to hide his relief.

"I wanted to see how far that truck would get you." He teased.

"Why are we friends?" Yugi sighed.

"Because I can give you a ride." He nodded his head back toward his car. "We'll get there faster and have time for breakfast." Almost as if on cue Yugi's stomach let out a rumble and he gave a goofy smile. "Alright, it's settled we are going to Ihop." Joey grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him toward the corvette and shoved him into the passenger's side.

"Wait, My clothes, my computer." Yugi reached frantically for his truck. Jounouchi walked back to the truck and grabbed Yugi's things and tossed them into his car through the top and hopped in. "Thanks." Yugi said dryly, happy he caught his laptop before it could hit anything.

"No problem, man." Jounouchi smiled brightly and turned the car back on, Blink-182 blaring from the speakers, and he drove off. Yugi shook his head, Jou would never grow up. He supposed that was what he liked about his blonde friend. It was refreshing to have a good friend like him. "I love this song!" Jou turned the volume dial and began singing. "What's my age again, what's my age again?" Yugi let out a laugh and sang along with him.

After the last song on the CD Jou turned the volume down and glanced over at Yugi, "So what will you say to him when you see him?"

"I have no clue. I thought I was going to yell at him but now that I know who he is, I guess… well I guess I'll just see when I get there." He rang his hands together in his lap and glanced out at the Kaiba Corp. Building and shivered. "It doesn't help that that building towers over everything."

"It's cool, don't worry about it, we'll have a quick breakfast and then we'll go together."

"You don't think I could lose my job over this, do you?" Yugi asked as they exited the car. "Writing is all I have. I love it. It's something I've been doing forever."

"I don't know, I hope not." Jou said. "Don't worry, I'll still read your work. I think you are really great, Man. Don't tell Seto I told you this but I've caught him reading your books on occasion."

"Are you just saying that?"

"Now why would I lie to you?" he winked and led Yugi into the restaurant.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe to cheer me up." Yugi looked up at Jou with soft eyes.

"Nah, to cheer you up I'm gonna buy you this cake." He smiled through the glass counter at a white carrot cake with orange frosting carrots on top then turned to the cashier, "Table for two and that cake." He winked causing the cashier to blush and giggle.

"Right this way, Sir." She moved from behind the counter and led them to a small table. They ordered and she skipped off happily.

"What is it with you?" Yugi smiled at the wonder that was Jou. "You've always been so lucky."

"I Guess." He shrugged. "Seto says that I am his good luck charm."

"A little more than I needed to know, but thanks." He paused. "So have you met with Yami?"

"Not in person. Seto said that Yami and he were rivals in high school and so he wants to see Yami lose for once. He told me that they are very much alike."

"That can't be good."

"Yeah well, if I can win Seto over, than so can you. With Yami I mean."

"Yeah right, after the way he talked to me on the phone before? I doubt it. I don't think we'll get along very well. I mean he insults my writing and bothers me on my vacation." Yugi glared. "Oh, I think I know what I'm going to say to him now."

"Leave it to me to bring the best out of you." Jou winked and paused as he watched a short stubby man in a long grey coat walk in, his hair in disarray, and his breath coming out in short huffs as if he had run here. "He looks suspicious." Yugi glanced over and squinted a bit.

"Nah, he always looks like that, stress from the job. Hey Jenkins!" Yugi waved him over. "Have a seat."

"I better not, Mr. Mouto. Mr. Atemu wanted me to bring him back a stack of strawberry pancakes. Odd character, that one." He panted.

"Gee, they are all out of Strawberries, I got the last stack. Too bad for him." Yugi smirked at winning that little game, and then frowned at Jenkins's long sad look. "What?"

"It's just that I'll have to go find an Ihop that has some left. Mr. Atemu isn't one to change his mind, and I doubt he'll like it if I can be empty handed. I Better hurry." He turned to leave.

Yugi sighed. "Alright, take my stack, I'll order something else."

"Oh thank you, Sir."

"Yeah, yeah." Yugi looked at a waiter. "May I get a to-go box?" the waiter nodded and promptly left the dining area. "Jenkins, tell me about Yami Atemu."

"We'll, he is very handsome. I must admit that he is a very sexy man." He blushed. "Don't tell my girlfriend."

Yugi let out a small laugh, "of course not."

"He's very arrogant, and a perfectionist. A real… pardon my language…Jack Ass." He bit his lip hard. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Jenkins."

"Your box, sir." The waiter smiled and set the Styrofoam box in front of Yugi and walked off while Yugi shoveled the stack of strawberry soaked pancakes into the box neatly.

"Here you are." Yugi closed the box and shoved it toward Jenkins. "Tell him to choke on them."

"W-hat?" Jenkins's face dropped and Joey's eyebrows crinkled at the sight of him, Jenkins looked as if he has swallowed his own tongue.

"Don't worry about it, Jenkins, just go." Yugi waved him off and looked back at Joey.

**--**

Yami drummed his fingers on his desk and stared at the clock. His breakfast should not have taken that long to prepare. A knock came at the door. "Jenkins, get in here already." He snarled.

"Is that how you are going to act?" Tea stuck her head in the door and smiled. "Morning, Yami."

"How can I help you?" he smiled softly at her.

"Well I've been dying to see you. The eleventh floor isn't the same without you." She cocked an eyebrow. "So this is your new office? It's cute…" she scoffed. "What's it gonna take to move you back up?"

"Kaiba getting his head out of his ass."

"I don't find that too funny." Kaiba stepped into the room and pulled Tea aside. "Don't you have a job to do?"

"Yes sir." Tea bowed and walked out.

"I came to see how you were doing."

"I am very busy, please, leave." Yami looked down at a list of names.

"You know it's okay to quit. I won't judge you. I mean come on, two weeks; there is no way you can pull that off."

"Then I propose a new deal."

"I'm listening."

"One writer, One week, and I will make him the next Stephen king of the romance world."

"Yugi? There is no way. He is a good writer but his stuff is bland, it lacks fire."

"On week. And if he isn't as popular as Stephen king, or Nora Roberts then I will quit editing. And I'll leave Japan and tell the world that you are the best."

"No. I have a better idea, you fail and you become my personal butler." Yami's nose wrinkled in disgust. The humiliation alone would kill him.

"Deal." He smiled confidently. "Now, I have work to do, get out of my office." Seto only smirked and walked out of the office. He passed Jenkins and stepped onto the elevator.

"Uh-oh." Jenkins swallowed hard and walked through Yami's open door and placed his breakfast on the desk.

"Thank you!" he snarled. "And cancel all my appointments for the week. I will only need to see Yugi."

"Yes, Sir."

"The moment he returns to Domino. We don't have much time." He opened the box and smiled softly. "My favorite." And for that moment Yami's world was just fine. "You may go 

now. And shut the door behind you." Jenkins nodded and closed the door and smiled at the possibility of a heart within the new editor's chest.


	3. The Cherry on Top

**---The Cherry on Top---**

After breakfast Yugi sat back with his hands in his lap as he looked at Jou. He had to admit there was a time when he had a crush on his best friend, a crush that nearly consumed his heart and mind. But somehow the crush faded and then Seto entered Jou's life and there was nothing to do but move on. On occasion, that day for instance, Yugi's feelings would raise the surface again.

At that moment Yugi let his heart take over as he studied his friend's cornflower yellow hair, soft flowing locks were messy and yet neat and swept over his face slightly covering his honey brown eyes. Sweet, caring eyes. Yugi's gazed traveled to Jou's pillowy pink lips; Yugi subconsciously licked his own at a sudden urge to taste them.

"This is old, but it has to be said." Jou snapped his fingers in Yugi's face trying to draw him from his dazed look, "Take a picture it will last longer." Yugi shook his head. "What are you staring at me for? Is there something on my face?" Jou drowned himself in his hands and rubbed frantically.

Yugi grabbed both of his wrists stopping him, "Nothing is on your face, your face is perfect." He said as a small blush tickled at his cheeks.

"Thanks, I have to see Seto today. You know how he is." He smiled softly. "He's so picky about how I look; I mean I can't tell you how many times he's punished me." Jou's eyes started to gloss over. Yugi knew where this was going. "Yeah, one time I wore a green shirt to work, he thinks I look bad in green, and he took it off me and punished me over and over again." Yugi cringed. "Man, I gotta get me a new green shirt."

"Okay, Jou, come back now." Yugi stood up leaving his half of the bill and tip. "I guess I better get going, I can't put this off forever."

"Sure…" Jou said, vaguely paying attention to his friend. "See you…" Yugi rolled his eyes, smiled and walked out of the Ihop. 'I suppose I better call a tow truck for my truck…eh, what's the hurry? It's junk, it will still be there later.' He stretched and glanced out at the looming KC tower and groaned.

Yugi slowly walked toward the building with his head down counting the cracks in the sidewalk as he did. He was in no hurry to be called a, to put it simply, bad writer by his idol. 'Crap.' What could the company possibly want from him? How could his book not be good enough all-of-a-sudden?

Bump.

Yugi was yanked from his thoughts by a huge wall of a guy in front of him, "Sorry."

"You should watch where you are going, somebody could step on you." The man picked him up, he looked very much like the giant in "The Princess Bride" and Yugi panicked. His high school days weren't too far behind him and his size often saw to it that he was shoved in lockers, teased and even beat up.

"I'm too old for this… and too young to die." He whispered.

The man let out a rumble of a laugh and set Yugi down, "I won't hurt you, little one. But you were too quick to judge me about my size, what does that say of you?" Yugi's face dropped. As if the big guy was the victim of their meeting. "There is something special about you."

"Y-Yeah…" What was he talking about? Another crazed homeless man perhaps?

"You will see. You have the Gift of Words. I see it in you. Be careful with this power. It brings destruction along with life."

"Right." Alcoholic? That had to be it. "Could you set me down now, please?" The man nodded. With his feet planted comfortably on the ground, Yugi gave the man a nod of thanks and hurried off to work. A place he seemed to love once more.

Yugi pulled on the golden handle of one of the double doors leading inside and stepped in. The smell of paper and fear wafted through the air. Yep. Yugi would never forget that smell. He once delivered mail to the employee's on this floor. The fear of getting fired was thick; anyone could be replaced on the first floor. When his shot came in, Yugi moved up and never looked back.

He stepped into the elevator and took a breath letting the doors close; he heard only bits of the elevator music because his heart began to beat louder with each ding of the elevator's ascent. Finally the doors slid open and Yugi took one more breath before walking down the hall toward Jenkins.

"Mr. M-"

"Please, not right now, is he ready for me?" Yugi half snarled

"He's been waiting for you for a while. Of course he's ready."

"Alright." Yugi walked up to the door to the editor's office and placed his hand on the knob.

"Well, get in here already." Yami's deep sensual voice blanketed his ears. Yugi walked in and was taken a back at the sight: tight black suit, black shirt, purple tie, hard tan skin, Violet, dangerous eyes, and to top it all off, beautiful wild hair. "Yugi Motou, we meet at last."

"Y-Yes… and I had a few choice words for you." Yugi started but his mind completely blanked.

"Ah, well there is no need to voice them. We are starting you on a new path. You aren't good enough for the world we live in. Women and men want fire and heat. Your books are like something off of the Lifetime channel."

"Now, just a moment. I put a lot of thought and heart into my books. You can't tell me my stories are nothing but late afternoon chick flick stories."

"Well in any case," Yami ignored him "You need to write something hotter."

"Like…E-Ero…"

"Erotica." Yami smiled "Perfect. Now, I noticed that you never write about sex in detail. Is there something your ashamed of?"

"N-No… I just… I think that the act of love making is something special… and I like to let my readers think about how they would have sex."

"Let me stop you right there, enough of this "Making Love" nonsense. Call it what it is. Having Sex, Screwing, Fucking." Yugi flinched at the last one. "Words like that hold power and passion. Sometimes the "act of making love"" Yami mocked, "is something more. Something of desire, of need."

"I just don't."

"I want you to go into detail. And use powerful words."

"But… I just think that when someone F-Fucks some one, it doesn't mean anything, its not love."

"It can be love sometimes. You lifetime channel writers all think the same way. It is another way of saying "sex" it doesn't mean the love is gone or that lust is ruling over. It all depends on who it's with." Yugi's cheeks were redder than ever.

"A-alright then." Yugi nodded. He still wasn't convinced he just wanted to end the conversation.

"Now, I was thinking you might like to expand your world of romance. Maybe add in a little fantasy, magic. People love those things as well. There was one note I liked in particular." Yami said as he reached into his desk pulling out a well used notepad. Yugi instantly recognized it as his and felt his intestines coil with the need to strangle his heart.

"How did you get that? You went through my things! How dare you." Yugi glared but Yami just flipped through the pages and stopped on the one he was talking about. "Don't ignore me, that is an invasion of privacy."

"This one about a pharaoh and a common stable boy, this has the makings of a great erotic novel. There is nothing hotter than a forbidden love. Why didn't you start this one?"

"I was saving it." Yugi sighed, giving up his futile attempts to scold the new editor.

"For what?"

"Nothing. I was just going to use it when I was better."

"We'll you will use is this time. And add a few antagonists, maybe one or two, some magic. The secrets of Egypt have always intrigued people, and don't forget the steamy romance. I want to see the first five chapters by tomorrow, and they had better be up to my standards. Then I want to see a rough draft of the sex scene you will use."

"By tomorrow?"

"You don't have but a week to finish."

"I thought it was two!" Yugi ran his fingers through his hair. "That alone was impossible, but a week!? I can't."

"You Will or it will be both of our jobs." Yami said sternly. He wasn't about to lose because of some kid. Yami paused a moment, "What are you still doing here? Get started!" Yugi jumped letting out a small squeak and shuffled out the door. Yami took time to notice Yugi's cute ass and arched an eyebrow in interest. He would have fun with this one. Sadly, work came first. Yami turned to his computer and began working.

Meanwhile, Yugi sat at his desk staring at the blank Word document and sighed, "How should I start… oh god and a love scene? A… hot love scene." There was an old saying, "Writers write what they know" and Yugi didn't know a thing about sex… He knew the gist of what it was about but not… not the passion or the feeling that came with being touched or felt from the inside. There was a reason Yugi didn't go into detail… he was a virgin.


	4. A Tale of Two Editors

**-A Tale of Two Editors-**

_The pharaoh Sat high on his thrown drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair, he was bored to say the least. Egypt was at once again at peace…_

No, that was no good. Yugi thought as he pressed the backspace on his keyboard. The Pharaoh is mighty, he is king, he is an arrogant, handsome, Bastard... Yugi's mind trailed off as he imagined Yami. Yami would be a perfect Pharaoh. He held Yugi's career and life in his hands. He scared everyone in the building, well all but Kaiba, but still. Yugi gripped the mouse hard until he heard it crack just a little and sighed. He looked at the blinking curser and licked his lips.

…_a winged crown sat proudly atop his brow, wisps of golden hair spilled over to tickle his forehead…_

I can't do this. Not this way. Yugi stood up and walked through his door and toward Yami's office then stopped. Through the editor's door, Yugi could see Yami talking on the phone in a cool voice; he was slipping an arm through a new shirt. Yugi's mouth opened at the sight. Yami was sexy with clothes on but without his shirt he looked godly. His finely toned and tan chest left much to be desired. It was so smooth and so hard. Yugi began to wonder what it would be like to run one of his hands down his chest, to feel his smooth chest and hard abs. Yugi found himself feeling very dizzy and very hot. He fanned himself off with his hand and grabbed the doorknob for support just as Yami began to button up his shirt.

Then Yami noticed him and cocked an eyebrow before beckoning for him to come in. "…Yes, listen Tristan, I have to go now. Sure. Yes, I look forward to it. Mmhm, no I won't forget. Okay," Yami grabbed up a yellow Post-it pad and a pen and began writing, "I'm writing it down. Dinner. You and Serenity. Cabin in the mountains. Tomorrow." Yami smiled. "Uhuh. Alright, Good-Bye." He hung up and glanced at Yugi.

"Listen, Yami-"

"Mister. Mister Atemu." Yami corrected and sat back in his chair.

"Mr. Atemu." Yugi stammered. "I know that I only have a week but writing in my office isn't easy. It stifles my creativity. I think that if I were aloud to continue with my vacation I would come back with something you will love." Yugi watched his new boss for a time and wrung his hands together nervously as Yami took in a shallow breath and sat up, and then glancing at the Post-it, he smirked.

"Alright. I know a place where you can write and I can keep a close eye on you." He said and ran his fingers over the phone. "My friend his having a little get-together at his place. You and I will go together and you will finish writing there. Then I won't have to waste a day away from work."

"Um… Okay."

"Just write the first chapter then after you give it to me go pack. It's in the mountains so pack warm." Yami waved him off and Yugi knew he wouldn't get another word in. A day in the mountains did sound nice even if he did have to work through the whole thing

Yugi slipped out of Yami's office thankful that Yami didn't see the blush that still lingered on his cheeks. Yugi took a deep breath and choked upon exhaling. A day with his boss in the mountains? Oh god. What would he do then? He would be trapped with Yami. He would be forced to write the whole time, like a kid who had to do all his homework before he could watch TV. Yugi smacked his forehead. Why did he have to say anything?

Yugi made his way back to his office and sat at his computer. "Chapter one… hmm? Chapter… one." Yugi repeated as he thought. "Chapter frigging one!" Yugi glared at his computer screen as the curser mocked him. "Okay." Yugi sat down, laced his fingers, and cracked them before typing.

A few hours later Yugi has finished a few pages and began to feel more confident, he had introduced the pharaoh, modeling him after Yami, a perfect candidate. He was like a king there in his office… Yugi glanced through his doorway and into Yami's office. Some time ago Yami had opened the door a crack, Yugi didn't know if it was because he was hot or because Yami wanted to keep and eye on him. Either way it helped Yugi write about his main character.

The Pharaoh sat High on his throne, a golden winged crow nestled in his wild hair. He watched over everyone like they were his children and at the same time like they were all his servants. And just like Yami, Yugi felt, the Pharaoh needed a little love in his life to soften his heart.

Yugi sighed like a school girl wishing for love and sat back up when Yami glanced back at him. Yugi looked down at his keyboard; Yugi continued to write for a few more hours. The clock ticked in time with the typing of his fingers and he sat back after the end of the second chapter and stretched. It was perfect so far but would it be up to Yami's standards? Probably not. Knowing what he knew of the man so far, Yugi was screwed.

-

Meanwhile Yami scanned through Yugi's latest book and cocked his head to the side. Yugi was pretty good at everything but his love scenes. They stopped every time the lovers got close to having sex. Now that Yami thought of it, Yugi always ended a love scene with a chapter change. What was he so afraid of? Yami read the page again and a shook his head.

Suddenly a knock came at the door causing Yami to drop the book and it landed on the desk with a loud thud. "Who the hell is it?" Yami glared at the door and stood up defensively. Jenkins stuck his head in and gave a pout.

"It's me sir. I am sorry to disturb you but you wanted me to tell you if Mr. Motou left his desk at all. Well he just got a call and headed out the door."

"What? Who was it?"

"He said his name was Bobasa. He is a very nice man. But he requested that Yugi meet him down in the lobby. That's all I know."

"Send Yugi in here the moment he gets back."

Jenkins nodded and turned to leave but noticed the book on his desk. "Oh,_Lover's Destiny_ I love that book, I think it is the best one so far." Yami cocked an eyebrow at him. "I love the part with the horse and the…" he stopped when Yami cleared his throat in annoyance. "Well… you know, Sir. I'll see that Yugi gets the message." He slipped out the door and closed it behind him.

-

Yugi stepped off the elevator and was taken by surprise; the man from the street was sitting on the couch. And when he said sitting ON the couch he meant it. It was a couch meant for three and the man's round body took up about two and a half seats. Yugi began to feel sorry for the couch as its middle stretched to the ground under the weight. The man finally noticed Yugi and his round; cartoon-like eyes sparkled with delight.

"Hello, little one. It is nice to see you again, Bobasa is happy to have found you." He smiled a big genuine smile. Yugi had never seen such a smile, never had anyone been glad to see him, except the bullies in high school. Still it made him blush and fell a little special. "Bobasa has a present for you. Silly me, Bobasa was supposed to give it to you on our first meeting."

"What? How could you have a present for me? You don't even know me."

"That may be true, But Bobasa was sent to give it to you. And would have followed you but there were fruit sellers down the road and Bobasa has to have a snack." Yugi held back his urge to comment at that and just nodded. "And without further waitings Bobasa will now give you the magic book."

"What? Magic?"

"You do not believe in such things?" Bobasa looked hurt. "If you do not believe then how can you see me?"

"Because you are a person and you are, no offence, huge." Yugi let out a sigh that shook his whole body. "I used to believe in magic. But who has time for that anymore. Now if you'll please hurry up and say what you have to say, I don't have much time."

"Yes, yes." He smiled anew and handed Yugi a book. "This is yours."

Yugi looked at the cover, red leather binding, golden vines with golden leaves spun around its edges and in the center there was a golden triangle. It was upside down and had an eye in the center. Yugi ran his fingers over it slowly and looked up at Bobasa. "This looks very old."

"It is. This is the Book of Creation." Bobasa said thrusting it into Yugi's small hands. "But" he warned, his face fell to seriousness, "be careful with this power. This is my only warning." His face returned to the jovial one it had been before. "You will believe in magic now." He smiled and bounced off. Yugi smiled, Bobasa was like a big beach ball rolling and bouncing in the wind. He shook his head and looked down at the book.

Jenkins waddled out of the elevator with a stack of papers that came up to his chin and he smiled when he caught sight of Yugi. "Uh, Sir." He said struggling with the tower in his hands. "Mr. Atemu wishes to see you now."

"Again?" Yugi snarled. "Alright, do you need help with that?"

"Uh… no Sir. No thank you." He said and waddled down the hall slowly. "Excuse me. Pardon me Ma'am. Thank you. Sorry. Do excuse me." Yugi shook his head as he watched Jenkins disappear around the corner, though he could still hear Jenkins's pardons and sorries.

Yugi turned away and rode the elevator back up to his floor and strolled carefully into Yami's office. "You wanted to see me?" he asked dryly, trying not to make eye contact.

"Who is this Bobasa?"

"Just a guy I met… wait, how is that any of your business?" Yugi looked at him finally. "You need to just stay out of my personal life."

"So, I can tell by the defensiveness that you are scared to tell me. Why is that? A new editor won't help you. You know that Kaiba corps made you what you are. You will never be able to sell as many books without our help." Yugi glared at him and took a breath.

"Maybe it was a new editor and maybe they are more powerful than you think they are. Say Industrial illusions Publishers." Yugi smiled at the fact that Yami flinched. "But I still don't have to tell you. Anyway." Yugi walked to his desk and returned with his chapters. "I finished the first two. I will meet you here later with my things." Yugi dropped the pages on the Yami's desk and turned on his heels. He had the upper hand now.

Or so he thought. Until. "I don't like the beginning so far."

"What's wrong with it?" Yugi gasped relinquishing his control as he turned back and leaned forward toward Yami to look at the first page.

"Where do I begin?" Yami looked up. Yugi was so close to him. One more move and Yami was sure Yugi would be on his desk and helpless. Yami shook his head and sighed. "Never mind this for now; we'll go over it in the car on the way to Tristan's place. Go pack." Yami waved Yugi off.

"Fine." Yugi sighed and walked back to his office to grab a few things and turned off the light and went home to pack.


	5. And Automobiles

**--And Automobiles--**

After Yami shut his computer down he sat back in his chair and heard it pop as if it too were relieved to have a short break. Yami glanced over nonchalantly at the small stack of papers on his desk and brought his hands to rest atop it and lifted the corner with his thumb and let it flutter pasts his thumbnail and back onto the table. Yugi was very accomplished but that was never the issue. Could Yugi provide the proper love scene to complete the story?

Yami's eyes flickered toward the door as a familiar face appeared through the crack in the open doorway, "Master Atemu." Jenkins folded his hands together in front of him and gave a bow at the waist. "I wanted to inform you that Master Mouto has arrived. I have also finished backing your things as you requested and your car is waiting out front." Yami nodded and waited for Jenkins to leave before taking a breath. Yami scooped up the stack of papers and stood promptly, his legs snapped in protest but Yami ignored them as he headed out the door. "Have a fun and safe weekend." Jenkins smiled his support but Yami knew the smile meant that Jenkins could finally have a relaxing weekend to himself.

He nodded and let out an exasperating sigh and heard the impatient feet of someone waiting in the stairwell. Yami cleared his throat, "If I can't get Yugi to straighten up it's going to be a long trip." He stretched out the word 'long' to show his annoyance of the situation.

"I can hear you!" Yugi cried in disturbance.

"Well I did say it loud enough, didn't I?" Yami smirked at the resulting grunt Yugi gave him. Jenkins held a dumb smile at the tension in the room and busied himself with straightening his desk hoping he would go on being ignored. "It is good, however, to know that your ears work, now we just have to get that mind and those fingers to work.

"You Pompous-"

"Watch what you say to me, Yugi." He warned and nodded toward Jenkins before walking down the steps to meet the object of his warning.

Yugi sighed in defeat and looked up at Yami for a moment, "can we just go?"

"Yes," Yami hid his sigh of fatigue behind a couch and glanced at the Kaiba corps logo on the front door his constant feud with Seto was becoming heavy. Every challenge, every stab Seto took at his pride was a ten pound dumbbell piled onto him.

"Are you alright?" Yugi cocked his head to the side as he watched Yami's body shutter, he looked like Atlas holding up the entire world.

"I'm fine." He snarled irritably and slapped Yugi's chapters against his chest so hard that Yugi was sure would have given him a million paper cuts if not for his cotton shirt. "Let's go. The car is out front." Yami nodded toward the door and down the steps.

Yugi's jaw dropped, "No." Yugi ran to the door and placed his hands on it as he stared like a kid at a puppy in a window. "That's not yours. I saw it earlier but I didn't think it was yours. I-I get to ride in that?"

"Yes. Unless you annoy me anymore than you are right now." Yami shoved him out the door and followed after.

"Do you know what that is?" Yugi looked back at Yami as if they had just discovered Atlantis. "A Lamborghini Murciélago. And it's that silvery black color." Yugi ran up to it and walked around it slowly and bit his lips. "This is my dream car!" Yugi looked back at Yami who was completing his journey down the steps.

"Yes, yes." Yami waved Yugi off and opened the latch on the front of the car revealing the trunk. Yugi smiled and put his stuff in next to Yami's and looked over at Yami for permission to shut it, a quick nod, gave Yugi his answer and he shut the hood and smiled proudly. "I actually fixed her up. She was basically a steal."

"I love her." Yugi smiled as he slipped into the passenger's side and rolled his eyes back in comfort as the seat hugged his small form perfectly.

"That, there!" Yami exclaimed. "What are you feeling right now?"

"Oh god, Yami, this seat, this car. It's all so hypnotic. I feel so comfortable." Yami growled. That wasn't the answer he was looking for so he turned the key and the car came to life with a loud roar and Yugi felt the vibrations of the engine and let out a silent moan. "Oh wow." Yugi snuggled back in the seat.

"How about now?"

"I feel… I don't know, it's different."

"Hot? I mean can you feel it in your legs? Your thighs? Your crotch." Yugi coughed and looked over at Yami in embarrassment. "What? I just want you to remember this feeling so that you can get it down on paper. You just don't get it do you? Why the fuck are you so timid?" Yami shook his head, "Just buckle up."

The trip was quiet after that; Yugi was content with ignoring Yami safe for a few stolen glances from time to time. Yugi couldn't help but see how hard Yami's features had gotten. He was keeping something bottled up inside. "If you don't stop looking at me I'll pull over and leave you on the side of the road."

"What's with you? Why are you so defensive all the time?" Yugi rubbed his hands on his pants nervously. He shouldn't have been so outright with his question.

"I'm not, now leave me alone."

"Ass." Yami either didn't hear it or ignored it. "I rest my case." Yugi mumbled and looked out the window and watched the frost frame the outline of the window. Yugi's ears popped and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably but settled down as the snow began to fall. "It's so romantic."

"Romance, needs heat and passion Not cold hard snow.""

"You just don't get it do you?" Yugi glared.

"Oh, I get that you are too damn shy. Sex is not as dirty as you seem to think it is. It's a bond, something comforting, it's an outlet… it can be dirty, yes but it is a wonderful act. Stop being shy about it."

"I…" Yugi's voice trailed off slowly.

"You what?"

"I'll write it. I'm just not there yet." Yugi admitted. "You will have your story, you will bet Seto at this game and then you can move on and get out of my life!" Yugi crossed his arms over his chest in a childlike manner though he hadn't meant it to come across that way. Yami gripped the wheel tight and began to accelerate. "Slow down it's slippery." Yugi shut his eyes in nervous fear. "Do you even know the way?"

"Of course I know the way. He is one of my best friends!" Yami flicked on his brights as the snow fall thickened. "Two-twenty-two south Elk Mountain road." Yami whispered to himself over and over.

"If you want, I'll drive. You seem so tense anyway." Yugi reached over and brush his hand against Yami's but stopped when Yami flinched violently and turned the wheel to the left hard and pulled his hands away from Yugi. The car pulled to the left and Yami hit the brakes hard causing Yugi to put his hands out in front of him as the inertia pulled his head toward the dashboard. Yugi let out a small scream when his forehead came in contact with his knuckles. Yugi pulled his head back and gawked at his new editor. "WHAT, are you trying to kill us both before we get there!?"

"Just be quiet, Yugi. Don't talk, don't move, and don't touch me." Yami warned

"I was only trying to help." Yugi said as he pried his hands form the dash.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Ah, so there _is_ something wrong. First step's admitting it." Yami gritted his teeth and was about to retort when a voice cut through the darkness around them. Yami and Yugi both squinted to get a look and Yami instantly smiled in recognition. Apparently they had reached their destination, Yugi thought.

Yugi looked the man over and smiled, he wore a soft woolen sweater and dark denim pants, his hair came to a point just above his forehead. Yugi looked at Yami and let out a breath of comfort to see that Yami was smiling.

"Yami, I thought that was you. I thought you crashed, I mean I know you love to show off the car but the roads are slippery and you are on the edge of a mountain, you need to be more careful."

"Yes, yes, I know Tristan but I couldn't resist." Yami smiled as he turned the car off and opened the door before stepping out.

"Oh. And who is that with you? A boyfriend?" Yugi blushed and shook his head violently, to answer and to shake the concept from his mind. As if he would date and arrogant man such as Yami. Not that Yami would like him that way in the first place. Yugi stepped out of the car and closed the door gently.

"N. I'm just making sure Kaiba doesn't win." Yami glanced at Yugi "So I need to make sure _he_ doing his job properly."

"What would you do if I just quit."

"You wouldn't. You need this job more than that." Yami shut his door.

"Guys come in, of the cold." Yami smiled at the soft silk voice that drifted from the mountain home behind Tristan.

"I'll get your things, just get warmed up. Serenity made cookies." Yugi smiled. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad. Yami was an ass, sure, but his friends seemed very kind. He scampered off into the house holding his chapters close to his chest.

Yami stayed behind to help Tristan with the bags but more so to talk about Yugi. "What's the bed this time?" Tristan asked.

"Well I have to get Yugi to write a bestselling romance novel in one week. If not then I will have to become Seto's butler." Yami cringed, "So I want to make sure he works."

"Wait. Yugi Mouto? Serenity loves his books. So what's wrong with him? I mean you are making it seem as if he isn't good enough to make it." Tristan slung Yugi's bag over his shoulder and waited for Yami to lock the car before walking toward the house with him.

"It's just that the world is more drawn to erotica when it comes to romance, or something hotter that what he is producing. Yugi just doesn't have it in him, yet."

"I suppose the sex scenes are lacking but his stories are wonderful."

"I know that. So I don't see what it's so hard for him to write it. I mean it's like he's never had sex…" Yami's eyes widened in sudden realization. Why hadn't he seen it before? Of course Yugi was a virgin. Yami smirked inwardly. Well he would simply have to show Yugi just what the world of sex had to offer.

Tristan looked down at Yami from the top of the porch. "You okay?"

Yami shook his head and walked the rest of the way to the house. "Yes, I just thought I saw something." Yami lied quickly.

"Alright. Don't worry about it; there isn't anything to dangerous out there. Anyway, come inside." Yami nodded and entered the house.

Yugi looked up at Yami from the Yearbook Serenity was showing him and giggled. "What is it? Is that the yearbook?" Yami's eyes widened. "Oh, no put that away." He pleaded.

"Why, Mr. Atemu. I had no idea how much of a-"

"Watch it."

"Yep, Yami was a geek." Tristan concluded.

"Shut up, I was not!"

"Were too." Tristan sat down and pulled the book onto his lap and angled it toward Yugi and flipped the pages. "Here is in the chess club, band, and Debater's club. Oh and here he is in the computer club." Tristan explained as he flipped to every page.

Yami glared and sat down next to Tristan and took the book back and flipped to the prom page. "So what, I took the hottest girl in school to the prom. Tea Gardner."

"Tea, from the marketing department?" Yugi looked over at Yami.

"That's right." He smirked. "I was popular despite all the clubs I was in." Yami closed the book and set it on the table.

As the night Dragged on Tristan and Serenity went to bed leaving Yugi to type at his lap top and Yami to hover over him. "It's getting late. I need to get some sleep." Yugi looked up at Yami from the end of the fifth chapter." Yami nodded. "Thank you," Yugi saved and closed his computer before heading up to the room assigned to him. Leaving Yami alone to contemplate his next move. Yugi was in for it. Yami would seduce him and teach Yugi all about the joys of sex.


	6. A Slippery Slope

**-A Slippery Slope-**

The next morning was greeted by a fresh mountain chill, crisp with a hint of moisture. For little Yugi it was like a snowball to the face. He tightened his little body in a ball afraid to move too much and lose the spot warmed by his body heat. He gripped his slender fingers tight around the comforter and pulled it snuggly around his neck and opened his eyes slowly. Why was it so cold all of a sudden? He pouted and looked at the clock on the nightstand hoping the alarm clock wouldn't go off for at least another hour. He closed his eyes again and brought the comforter up to his ears and shivered. His ears twitched when he heard a gentle humming right outside his door.

"Morning, Serenity." Tristan said and by the way Serenity giggled Yugi could tell that Tristan had wrapped his arms around her waist. "Some one sure is happy this morning." he said with a kiss. Yugi sat up, officially giving up on going back to sleep, and smiled at how cute they were together. Like the couples in his books, perfect for each other, soul mates, best friends.

Yugi slipped one of his feet over the edge of the bed and stepped lightly ion the cold floor. "S-So cold." Yugi let out a sighed and made his other foot join the first on the ground. The blanket fell away as Yugi walked toward his bag and pulled out jeans and a dark grey long-sleeved shirt. He caught traces of Serenity and Tristan's conversation as he passed the door.

"…So why are you so happy, baby?" Yugi smiled then frowned when he suddenly wished someone would call him baby or honey or any corny little pet name.

"My brother is coming" came her soft reply. Oh great another person to feel uncomfortable around. Yugi kicked off his flannel pajama bottoms and tugged off his shirt.

"Jounouchi?" Tristan asked and Yugi stumbled out of his shirt almost falling over and smiled. Couldn't be the same one… could it? Now that he thought about it, Serenity and Jounouchi did have certain similarities, eye color and physical features. "I haven't seen him in a long time. How is he?"

"He's fine, he just got back from… one of his wild adventures, you know him. But he'll be here tomorrow. Isn't that wonderful?" Wild adventures? Another fact about Jounouchi. It had to be him. Thank god. He wouldn't be completely alone in a house of strangers. Yugi tugged on his pants and yanked on his shirt down over his stomach letting his hair pop from the collar. He hopped out the door as he hooked his slippers onto his feet and smiled at them. "Morning, Yugi." Tristan smiled.

"Morning. Sorry to overhear but did you say, Jounouchi? Blonde hair strange city accent?"

"The one and only." Serenity smiled. "How do you know him?"

"He's my best friend." Yugi said with a huge smile.

"That's interesting." Tristan said in a jealous tone.

"Oh, Stop." Serenity playfully smacked Tristan's arm. "Jou can have more than one best friend. I swear you act like a child sometimes." She glanced back at Yugi. "I guess you won't feel so awkward around Yami's friends, you'll have one too."

Yugi smiled at that and a strange feeling washed over him. "I haven't been feeling awkward." He said politely. "But now I'm thinking that we could have all been friends at some point. I mean in high school or something. I mean there is something that connects us all together. Like, I work for Yami and you two are friends with him and Serenity you are related to Jou and he is my best friend. And Yami used to date Tea and I know her now."

"That's kind of cool." Serenity said softly. "I mean if time had gone a little differently we could have all been one little group."

"Fate's funny sometimes." Yugi said and his breath hitched when he heard the latch on Yami's door click open. More work. He sighed but that stopped before it could leave his mouth at the sight of Yami. The editor stood there dripping wet in nothing but a towel that hung around his waist. The white fabric clashed against his tan skin. Yugi watched as a lone drop of water slowly rivered down the contours of his finely toned chest, past his six pack abs, and curved around his perfect navel just missing the trail of hair leading to parts unseen.

"Aren't you cold?" Serenity asked, knocking Yugi back into reality. He had to admit that Yami's body was something even the hottest models dreamed of.

"No. I really don't get cold."

"Oh. Please, people who say that are just begging to be locked in a butcher's freezer." Tristan said. Apparently it was a pet peeve of his. Yugi watched in silence, Yami's body still giving off its godly glow. "Alright, Mister Macho, I _dare_ you to go out in the snow, just like that."

"You're on!" Yugi's eyes widened and he stared at Yami in horror. What the heck was he thinking it was like ten below and he was dripping wet. Yami ignored the gasps and headed toward the door brushing past Yugi as he did. Yugi's shirt sleeve stuck to Yami's wet shoulder for a moment before falling back in place.

"Oh, Yami don't. You'll catch pneumonia." Serenity shook her head as both boys walked out the doorway. "Those two." She said to herself.

"I don't think its Tristan. Yami seems to want to take on challenges when they are presented to him." Yugi said never taking his eyes off of Yami. He began to study his back, Yami's shoulder blades protruded a bit and a slight crease ran down his back, showing Yugi just where Yami's spine began. His eyes followed the spine and stopped at a small dimple just above the towel. 'Oh wow." Yugi licked his lips subconsciously and wondered how much pressure his nails would have to use to leave claw marks in his perfect skin. Yugi shook his head violently.

"…Yeah, and lay on in the snow… On your stomach." Yugi heard Tristan say. How far would he go to win? Yugi shivered at the thought of being wet and in the snow half naked.

"Oh Please. I'll do it for a minute." Yami puffed out his chest and stomped out of the house. He walked down the steps and found a fresh patch of snow, then flashed a cheese smile at Tristan before turning to face the patch of snow. He outstretched his arms and stood before it as it he were a man facing Mount Everest.

Yugi cringed but couldn't stop watching. Would Yami really do it? Yugi's face hardened at the dumb question. Of course he would. "Yami please come back inside." Serenity begged, "Don't listen to Tristan." Serenity smacked Tristan's arm in the playful manner she always did. Yami waved her off and took a breath before leaning into gravity. Yugi shut his eyes tight when he heard the 'plop' that came with falling into snow.

Yami let out a grunt at the force of the fall but lifted one hand to give Tristan the thumbs-up "See, I don't get cold." He murmured into the snow.

Yugi sighed but soon recovered as he watched the light outline of snow around Yami's body melt onto his body. Oh no, not again. What was going on? He was not supposed to picture his boss this way. He was not supposed to… to… what was the word. It was one of Yami's words… Lust. Lust over his boss. No that's not what it was. Yugi told himself and continued watching. Tristan's voice, as he counted, began to fade away and was replaced by the cold sound of the winter wind. He heard Yami's heartbeat, he could feel the heat of Yami's breath and in his mind Yugi could feel everything.

"TIME!" Tristan shouted and Yami pushed himself up slowly, his muscles flexing as he rose and brushed off the excesses snow from his body which left his skin looking a bit purple and Yugi couldn't help but laugh.

"Yugi, don't you have work to do?" Yami shook the snow out of his hair and headed back toward the house.

"Yeah, Yeah. I'll get to it." Yugi giggled. "You are crazy, you know that, right?"

"Crazy but I never lose." He winked, or at least Yugi thought he did. "Now, get to work."

"Yes, master." Yugi said dryly and shuffled back into his room.

"You shouldn't treat him like a kid." Serenity chided then a sly smiled found its way to her pink lips. "You know, he wouldn't be a bad match for you." Yep. There it was, Serenity's insatiable urge to set people up. "He is like your opposite, it's perfect."

"My ass, the only thing he is good for is helping me kick Seto's ass at this game we have going on."

"No, He would make a great boyfriend. He seems sweet and I love his books. Anyone who can write like that has to have a big romantic heart."

"Ugh. No wonder you like his stuff." Yami cringed. "I'm sure you and Yugi like that sort of thing… it's just not real. That kind of love doesn't exist."

"Well I don't believe that and it's sad that you do." Serenity said, "Still I think he could be good for you."

Yami smiled and nodded politely, "You might be right if I were looking for that sort of thing. Love just isn't for everyone."

"I dare-"

"Ah!" Yami held up a finger to stop Tristan. "Don't you even start." Yami warned and walked away and back into his room to get dressed.

"Why do you even try?" Tristan turned to Serenity, "You know he won't ever change."

Yami pulled off his towel and let it drop to the carpet as he admired his body in the mirror. His "going out in a towel" plan worked. Yugi would be thinking about him all through the day. Running a pick through his hair, Yami, flashed a sexy smiled at himself. Yugi would lose this game of whose version of love was real. Yami pulled on his dark pants and Navy blue button up shirt. Oh yes, he would have Yugi begging to fuck him.

Yami had to smile because this would not only teach Yugi something but it would help Yami alleviate some of the stress he felt lately.

In order to teach Yugi this lesson Yami knew that he would have to get Yugi to crush on him first and he knew just how to do that.

After dressing, Yami walked back out and joining Serenity and Tristan in their living room. "So what are the plans for the day?"

"Sledding" Tristan said.

"Is that a little childish?" Yami sighed.

"Hey! It was my turn to choose and I think it's fun." Serenity pouted.

"Sledding it is." Yami smiled.

"Oh, and Yugi is coming with us too. Jounouchi will be meeting us there." Serenity said quickly. "And I don't want to hear anything about it." She said sternly.

"Yes, ma'am." Yami saluted.

**--**

Tristan helped Serenity out of the truck and opened the side door to let Yami and Yugi out. "You'll love this." Tristan said.

"I doubt it." Yami said as he glanced around and spotted a sixty-year-old woman holding the sides of a cheap plastic sled, he eyes shut tight as she rode down a small hill.

"Please. Like we will be sledding on those baby hills. No my friend," Tristan nodded his head toward the mountain and looked at a clearing in the distance. "We will be sledding down the abandoned ski slope. "But first we have to climb." He said and pulled open the back of the truck and tugged on the strings to the sleds and pulled them out.

"Are you sure we should do that? I mean, why is it abandoned?" Yugi's teeth chattered in fear and he took the sled handed to him.

"Well it used to be one of the top ten slopes but they moved the lodge and it was sort of forgotten. In terms of skinning that slope is a medium." Yugi swallowed hard.

"Don't worry, it go down it all the time. It's safe." Serenity said.

"Hey Guys!"

"Jou." Serenity smiled and waved at her brother.

"Hey sis." Jou glanced at Yami. "Well, well, well if it isn't Yami Atemu. How do you know my sister?" Jou nodded toward Yugi. "'sup yug'" Yugi nodded back.

"I know her through Tristan." Yami said calmly.

"You're not being too hard on my pal, Yugi, are ya?"

"Depends on what you consider too hard." Yugi decided_ that_ would be a good time to start the trek up the mountain path.

Serenity hooked her arm around her brother's and pulled him back toward the path, "Jou, it's okay. Let's just have some fun." She smiled and Jou melted at her bright eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm here for you, Sis." Jou hiked up his sled and bounced up after Yugi.

"Seems Yugi has told him about me."

"Maybe you are too hard on him."

"I'm his boss and he has a deadline."

"One he wouldn't have, if not for you." Tristan defended.

"I'm giving him a break, aren't I?" Yami growled and stomped up after Yugi and Jou. Why did everyone think they knew him? Yugi was nothing more than an employee. A pawn in his game with Kaiba. Everyone assumed there would be more to him and Yugi than that. But at least they wouldn't complain when he finally used Yugi in his next step to win. He would have to make this move in order to be triumphant and there was nothing he wouldn't do. Yugi was an expendable casualty.

As the group reached the top a wave of relief washed over them. "It's about time." Jou said as he rubbed his thighs.

"You are so out of shape." Yami bragged and made his way to a second slope. A rocky slope. It was perfect.

"I wouldn't go down that one." Tristan warned, "There are too many rocks."

"Then it's perfect." Yami smiled.

"Don't be crazy, you'll break your neck." Serenity said.

"Hey, if he wants to, let him." Jou smirked and Tristan punched him in the arm.

"Relax I'll be fine." Yami set the sled down and took a seat. This would be his greatest performance. "Ready?" the others shook their heads and Yami gave Yugi a small look before pushing off and heading down the steep slope. He glided masterfully down the slope, avoiding rocks and trees but about midway down he began to teeter. His sled shifted to the right and flew across a ramp-like rock and was airborne for a few moments.

"YAMI." Tristan Yelled and Serenity closed her eyes tight knowing it couldn't end well. Jou held her close and Yugi watched in horror as Yami's sled plowed into a tree sending a puff of white snow into the air.

Yugi was the first to take off running; he dug his boots into the snow and made his way down the slope, trying not to slip along the way. "Yami, are you okay?" he called. No answer. He began to panic. "Please be okay." He chanted as he walked past the ramp rock and quickened his pace when he caught a glimpse of Yami's red tipped hair. "Yami!" Yugi plopped down in the snow and looked Yami over for signs of bleeding.

Yami's eyes slid open slowly and he groaned. "Yugi."

"That's right, I'm Yugi." Yugi brought his hands up and held up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Umm… three." Yami sat up slowly but fell right back down when a rush of dizziness came over him.

"Oh, Yami." Yugi placed his warm hands on Yami's cheek and looked him in the eyes to check them. "Well they seem alright." A tingle lingered on Yami's cheeks when Yugi pulled his fingers away. "What the heck were you thinking?" Yugi ran his fingers through Yami's hair to feel for blood and smiled when he found none.

"I think I twisted my ankle." Yami pouted

"Let me see." Yugi rolled up his pants as best he could and studied his ankle carefully. Yugi ran light fingers over the ankle and caressed it slowly unthinking. Yami watched and a smirk found its way to his lips. His plan was perfect. Yugi would be drawn closer to Yami now that he thought Yami needed him. This plan was executed perfectly and he wasn't really hurt, he knew just how to make it look painful and Yugi, and the others for that matter, believed it. At this rate, Yugi would be his by the end of the trip.


	7. Precious Illusions

**-Precious Illusions-**

Yugi Glanced over Yami's leg carefully and bit his bottom lip not finding a bruise or a mark of any kind. "You sure you hurt your ankle, I can't tell." Yugi looked up at Yami in the hopes that he would indicate where the pain was. I'm going to try something you tell me where it hurts okay. Yami nodded and tensed when Yugi's hand ran down over his calf his soft fingers trickling over his skin. Yami's mouth opened just a bit as he watched. Yugi held Yami's leg down with one hand while the other grabbed the top of his foot. "I'm gonna push, I'm sorry if it hurts but I have to know." Yami nodded and Yugi pushed.

"Th-there," he lied, his voice strained to emphasize his pain. He ran his hand over his ankle and looked at him. "I think it will be okay, I can try to walk." Yami gritted his teeth and pushed up from the ground and stood up tall on his good leg and moved to step on the other and stumbled forward where Yugi caught him. Yami couldn't help but notice how strong Yugi's arms were in spite of his small form. Yugi pulled Yami's pants down to cover his ankle.

"Maybe you shouldn't walk on it." Yugi swung Yami's arm over his shoulder and held him tightly to him. "We just have to get down this hill without falling." Yugi said his voice a bit husky with Yami's added weight. Yami looked at him a moment a feeling of protection washed over him. He had never felt anything so bazaar and so right.

"Here they are!" Yugi heard Jou call to the others, his voice echoed through the cold caverns and clear icy paths of the mountain. "Is he dead?" Yugi gave Jou a look at the sound of hopefulness in his voice.

"I'm just fine," Yami glared at the blonde and smiled dumbly as Serenity and Tristan slipped through the trees. "Hey." He said casually.

"Hey? That's all you can say? What are you, stupid?" Tristan walked over to Yugi and scooped Yami up in his arms. "I'll take over from here." He smiled at Yugi as he held Yami bridal style. Yugi laughed softly and Yami suddenly felt like hiding so that Yugi wouldn't see him this way.

"Put me down!" Yami struggled. "What the fuck are you doing?" Tristan held him tighter.

"Yeah, well this is what you get for being a dumb ass." Tristan held Yami closer. "Don't worry; you are in safe hands, baby." Tristan girled up his voice and winked at Yami.

"Okay, that's not funny." Yami made a face. "Put me down!"

"It's fine you are really light."

Jou laughed and nodded. "What do you expect from someone so scrawny?"

"Scrawny! I'll show you scrawny…" Yami reached out with two hands in an attempt to grab hold of the blonde and strangle him. Tristan held him tight and shook his head. "Tristan, Put me down. This is embarrassing."

"Uh-huh. It's only until we get back to the car." Tristan smiled and started walking back through the trees with Yami in his arms. Yugi blinked and let a small smile touch his lips.

"Best friends." Serenity said.

"How are they that close, I am willing to bet Yami's not the easiest guy to get along with."

"It's a very long story." She said.

"Think you'll be able to tell me later?" he asked as they started walking, Jou up ahead taunting Yami.

"Sure." She gave him a sincere smile and took his hand. "It's just too bad its kiddy hour. Every kid in town will be here to see Yami." Yugi froze.

"Do we really have to humiliate him this way?" Yugi bit his lip.

"I suppose not but Tristan will just love this. I don't think you'll be able to talk him out of carrying him."

Serenity smiled at him. "Don't worry about it, they are always like this. Ever since they met it's been a trip." She smiled. "There was a time when his life was dark. He… oh well maybe I shouldn't tell you any of this. He is your boss."

"I see. It's alright." Yugi looked toward Yami who had stopped struggling to hide his face from the laughing children. "Poor Yami."

"Hey, though, I've noticed a change in him since he came here with you." She said

"What? No, he's only being nice because you told him to. Once we get back there, I just know it's back to work." Yugi sighed. "It's hard to write under all this pressure."

Tristan honked at them a few times for them to join him in the car, everything was packed up and Yami was pouting in the passenger's seat next to him. "Come on Guys. Yami's crying."

"I am not! Bastard." Yami glared and paused when Yugi glanced at him and his expression melted. Yugi's cheeks were red and his eyes were glazed over from the cold. Yugi paused when he caught Yami's stare and waved slowly causing Yami to look away. Yugi shrugged and got into the car with Serenity. "Okay, can we go now? Yugi has some work to do." Yugi melted back against his seat and pouted to himself. How could Yami be so mean… but that was the plan, Yugi could come here with Yami if he promised to do work. And he did have a deadline.

As Tristan drove through the dark forest that outlined the snow covered dirt road it began to snow lightly, a sheet of white crystals draped over the sky like sheer curtains. His driving slowed a bit and he eased the Truck through the cold silk and back toward the cabin. Jou's car slowly followed and Yugi knew he was having a hard time with the thought of snow messing up his car. "Poor Jounouchi."

"He'll be fine." Serenity assured him and smiled back at her brother and waved.

"Shh." Tristan turned up the radio.

"… heavy snow fall is expected for these three counties, we strongly advise people to stay inside do to chanced of avalanches in some parts of the mountain." The forecaster warned in a calming tone before switching to a new topic and Yugi glanced out the window, how is something as soft as snow strong enough to bring down mountains?

"Well I guess we won't be going anywhere for the rest of the day." Tristan said. "Just as well, Yami will need to rest that ankle." Yami glared at himself in the passenger's side mirror, he hadn't really thought this trough. Now he would have to lie around and not move for the day because of his fake injury. Then again, he wouldn't have to go to a doctor. He could pretend to feel much better before morning and no one would be the wiser.

The Truck came to a stop and everyone piled out of the car, Tristan scooped Yami back up and walked in into the house and placed him comfortably on the bed. "If there is a blizzard tonight the cable will go out, just to warn you." He said and handed him the remote. "You know this is just like that day a met you."

"Do we have to bring this up every time I come up here?" Yami sighed. "I'm not in the mood for a flashback, I know what happened."

"You are so cranky." Tristan ruffled his hair. "Sit tight. I'm getting us a few drinks, then it's story time." He smiled and left the room.

Meanwhile Yugi plopped himself down in front of his computer and began typing the story of the stubborn Pharaoh and the innocent stable boy. Taking a lot of the feelings he got from this trip and incorporating them into his story. Yugi smiled to be able to see this side of Yami. Or maybe it was an act he put on. Yugi sighed and looked out the window, the snowfall had gotten thicker.

"How's it going Yug'?" Jou stuck his head into his room and let himself in. "don't let him work you too hard, no matter how much you idealize him."

"I do not idealize him."

"Oh, is that why you have every book he's ever edited?" Jou walked around the room playing with knickknacks and meaningless decorations that adorned the small guest room. "Man Serenity 

decorates like she lives at a hotel." He looked over at Yugi. "Anyway, he is just a man, like you and me."

"You and I." Yugi hit save and looked back at his friend. "So I have a little crush on him. Leave me alone. You had the biggest crush on Seto when you first saw him."

"That's different." He crossed his arms and looked away.

"How is it different?" Yugi gave him a look "Seto isn't anything like Yami." Jou defended his boyfriend.

"Yes he is. They are so alike I'm surprised they aren't related."

"Well just be careful. Sometimes your crushes can turn out to be someone else. If anything ever happens between you two just… be careful. You are my best friend and I don't want you to get hurt again."

"That won't happen again. I know better now. Trust me." Yugi smiled up at him, "Look I have a lot of work to do."

"Alright." He walked out and closed the door lightly behind him.

"Everything alright?" Tristan asked carefully.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Where is Serenity?"

"She's in the kitchen." He said "She's making Pizza. It's the best." He smiled. "She's so good in the kitchen and in the bedroom."

Jou threw his hands up and covered his ears, "Dude, that's my sister you are talking about." He groaned. "I never should have given you my blessing."

"I'm sorry. It's just so fun to freak you out like that." He teased. "You bothering Yugi in there? Yami won't like that."

"I don't give a damn!"

"Whoa, what's wrong with you?"

"I just don't like him. He's too hard on Yugi. I'm not trying to be mean but Yugi is soft, he uses his heart instead of his brain." He lied and stormed off into the kitchen.

Tristan shrugged and walked into Yami's room and handed him the ice pack, "There you are. I made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow."

"You didn't have to do that." Yami placed the ice on his ankle.

"Why not, you wouldn't be faking, would you? That's deceitful you know?"

"Why the hell would I be faking it?"

"I don't know, to get out of sledding. Don't worry I won't tell Serenity." Yami looked at him a moment. Was he giving him an out?

"Thank you. I didn't want to hurt her feelings." He smiled at him but Tristan just frowned. "You could at least try to have fun with us. The more the throw yourself into your job and worry about Seto the worse you become."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just don't want you to go back to your old self. I don't think I can help you again. You almost didn't make it." Tristan said.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall into that again? I think you better go now, Tristan." He warned and gripped the icepack tight in his fist and whips it at him.

"Mmhm." Tristan grabbed the ice and stood up and turned away from him. "Be careful." He said and left the room. Yami sat in silence until the room grew dark.

That night Yugi finished a few chapters and looked at the clock. "I should get to bed." He yawned. "Maybe I should check on Yami." He stood up and crossed the hall and knocked softly. No answer but the door creaked open. Yami's soft breathing made Yugi smile and he walked in carefully and cocked his head to the side and stopped at Yami's bedside and looked down at his ankle. He ran a smooth hand over it and his eyes ran up Yami's sleeping body and he blushed. He was beautiful. So captivating and dangerous.

The clouds cleared and the crisp glow of the moon blanked Yami's features making him look heavenly. Yugi wanted him to open his eyes; he wanted to see those dark crimson eyes in the moonlight. He took a slow breath and brushed a few stray hairs from his forehead and licked his lips.

Yami shifted his weight causing Yugi to flinch away as it burnt. When Yami settled down again Yugi continued his search. "Pharaoh…" Yugi whispered unknowingly and closed his eyes.

Suddenly he could smell sweet oils and spice fire; he felt the hot dry air of Egypt. And he looked down to see he was wearing light linen which only covered his small form. Yami on the other hand wore a crown and was decorated like a pharaoh. Yugi leaned down slowly and brushed his lips over Yami's. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Yami's harder in a complete kiss and the room was back to normal. Yugi pulled away and scampered out of the room.

A dark smirk found its way to Yami's mouth and his eyes opened slowly and let out a small laugh. "This is too easy." He laughed again and looked out at the moon. "Good timing my friend." Just a few more days and Yugi would be in his bed learning a few things he would never forget


	8. May I Have Another?

**-May I have another?-**

Yugi went to bed with the soft tingle of Yami's lips lingering on his. A smile formed on his face, one he was sure would never go away. Pealing back his covers and slipped into bed and pulled him back over his small form. He let out a sigh of happiness and closed his eyes. Perhaps he shouldn't have stolen kiss from his boss but he couldn't help it. The moon light, Yami's handsome features, and not to mention the forever long crush he had on him didn't help matters at all.

Yugi turned on his side and stared at the door hoping that his crush would open that door and join him in his cold bed. Yugi blushed and thought of how it would feel to kiss him for real. Maybe experience a real romance. "What's wrong with me? I can't like him. And this crush is just that, I know nothing about him." Yugi tore his glance from his door and forced them shut.

"_Pharaoh, may I have a word with you, I have I minor issue in the garden, someone has been taking lotus blossoms from the royal pools again." The Pharaoh glared down at the man before him and waved him off. "But My king…"_

"_I no longer care." He murmured. "Bring Yugi to me."_

"_Y-Yes, Pharaoh." The man bowed fully and turned on his heels before shuffling out of the room. _

_The Pharaoh glanced up at the many glorious pillars in his throne room and let out a heavy sigh, it was far too hot to worry about flowers. Though it was illegal to take anything from the palace gardens, he would simply have to deal with that later. He let his arms drop to his sides barely registering the familiar clinging sound of his bangles as they slid down his arm. _

_Moments later Yugi walked in, head held low and his hands laced together in front of him, lotus flower petals sewn through his wet hair. The Pharaoh smiled genuinely and shook his head. "Do you have something to tell me, boy?"_

"_I…forgive me Pharaoh, it is especially hot today. I only meant to cool myself off."_

"_Ah, yes, I too have noticed this sudden rise in heat but you know the flowers in the garden are forbidden to anyone but me. You seemed to have taken some." The Pharaoh crossed the room, his sandals scraping on the ground smoothly, and stopped in front of the boy and plucked a petal from his hair. _

"_I never meant to take them." Yugi said eyeing the petal the Pharaoh held in front of him. "Forgive me, please, My Morning Sun." _

"_SILENCE." His booming voice seemed to shake the whole palace and Yugi's knees shook uncontrollably but he fought the urge to fall to his knees. The Pharaoh then grabbed the back of _

_the boy's head with two hands and pulled his forehead against his bare chest. Yugi blushed at this action, of course, but didn't know how to react when the Pharaoh buried his nose in his wet hair. "You know, I have always, loved the smell of Lotus blossoms. They remind me of my mother. _

_Yugi dared not speak; he merely listened to the Pharaoh's soft words and closed his eyes. "No, since you are so fond of swimming in my pool and stealing my flowers, I have decided to let you… no. I order you to swim in them every day. If you do not smell like Lotus when you are near me then you will have to be punished." He shoved the boy away._

_Yugi nodded and watched as droplets of water slid down the Pharaoh's chest. "Oh… My king, you are wet. I will dry you." Yugi said frantically but stiffened when the Pharaoh lifted a hand. _

"_Leave it. Get back to the stables."The Pharaoh waved him out."Come to my room later on. I wish for you to bathe me."_

"_Pardon me, But Pharaoh, that is Ryou's job." Yugi slapped a hand over his mouth and looked down at his uncovered and dirty feet._

"_I will pretend I didn't hear that, do as you're told." The Pharaoh turned away from him and walked out to the throne room leaving the boy alone with his thoughts…._

"Is this all he has!?" Yami was not too pleased with the lack of passion in this story; it seemed to be worse than before. "Yugi, Wake up!" Yami began to rip pages up and Yugi shot out of bed as if he were being stabbed repeatedly.

"What the hell are you doing? That is my work." Yugi grabbed Yami's wrists with both hands to stop him and glared through the frame their arms made. "I can't believe you would do that!"

"Relax; you have it saved on your computer." Yami smirked and let the rest of the printed story fall to the floor. "That is all it is good for, wiping your feet on. I expected better from you, Yugi. And you are famous. Ha. Perhaps I should let your career fall down the drain, put you out of your misery."

That was it, Yugi could not take it any longer, his all time favorite editor trashing his work again and Yugi was sure his work would never be good enough. Tears of frustration slid down his face and he tightened his fists squeezing Yami's wrists as tight as he could. "What do you know? I know for a fact that the only reason you are an editor is because you could never get published."

Yami stopped suddenly and yanked away from Yugi. Had Yugi crossed a line? He watched Yami a moment longer and decided that it wasn't the best thing to say. "You don't know a thing about me, Yugi. Let's not forget that I hold your future in my hands." He warned and Yugi caught a flash of pain in Yami's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry." Yugi said. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you… I-" he trailed off and hid the blush he felt coming on. "I want it to be perfect for you. You may not have been published but you are the best editor in the world, without you no one would get published. Please, I will do better. I can do better. You'll see." Yugi was looking up at Yami now, a fire in his eyes.

Yami let out a breath and nodded slowly. "It's alright, Seto called earlier. He came in with his usual attitude." Yugi laughed knowingly and Yami smiled. "Look, I'm not really mad about the work, it's the fact that it is taking you so long to get to a point where the Pharaoh and the boy fuck." Yugi cringed. "Still? I think we need to do something about that Yugi." Yami's voice suddenly got quieter and Yugi backed up a bit.

"A-ah… I um…" Yugi glanced around the room desperate for a distraction but one never came. Instead he felt Yami's hand cup his cheek. Eyes closed and fingers twitched against skin and Yugi felt his heart slide down his ribcage and into his stomach. That simple touch and he was nothing without Yami.

"Tell me how you would write this, if the Pharaoh were to do this to the stable boy." Yami ran his thumb down Yugi's lips and smiled when the bottom lip met with the top in a silky dance.

"I-I um… paper…" Yugi could manage no more, his brain was locked up, all of his energy was focused on Yami's touch, and he never wanted to forget it.

"No paper. I want to hear it from your mouth. Word for word. Tell me what this feels like." He brushed his nose against Yugi's other cheek and planted a small kiss at the corner of his mouth.

"I-It feels like."

"Yes??"

"Oh," Yugi could feel himself swaying, the ground beneath him vanishing. "Feels like."

"GOOD MORNING, YUGI!" Jou burst in through the door and Yami pulled his hand away and glared at Jou before shoving past him and out the door. "Guess he can walk again." He paused "whoa, what was going on in here?"

Yugi blushed madly not really sure what was going on, "He was just helping me with my writing."

"I'm sure." Jou looked down at the ground. "What's with all the papers?" He bent down and picked them up. "Man, why don't you just quit. You know you are a great writer, I don't know why you let him do this to you."

"He really is helping. I am loosing readers. Don't think I haven't noticed. I want more and Yami will help me with that."

"Yeah, well remember what you told me when you first started out?" Yugi shook his head and took the stack of papers from Jou once he stood up again. "You told me that if you ever got published you wouldn't care if you had readers because your dream would have come true, you told me that writing should be about yourself, not your readers." Jou shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't change who you are over some guy."

"Jou, he's not just some guy!" Yugi shook his head. "I think I might actually… be… in love with him."

"Bull Shit!"

"What?"

"You always do this. When I guy shows you the least amount of kindness you fall head of heels. I won't let that happen again. I am leaving this afternoon and you are coming with me."

"No."

"Yes, you will finish writing at my place and send it to Yami to edit and he will give it to Seto and that will be the end of it."

"I won't leave. I want to stay here with him. I want his help."

"You want to be his little toy! I won't help you again. You were broken before and I don't think I can help you again. Don't you expect me to help you when you get hurt by him?" Jou gritted his teeth.

"If."

"When." Jou said firmly and turned on his heels and slammed the door behind him causing Yugi to flinch.

Jounouchi found Yami in the kitchen and walked over to him and used his body to trap Yami between him and the counter. "I swear to god, if you hurt him…"

Yami laughed. "You'll what, send your boyfriend after me?" Jou jammed his knee into the counter inches from Yami's manhood and smirked.

"We'll see how bad you can hurt him without those. Hmm." Yami casually pushed Jou away and headed to the fridge. "I think you should worry about yourself. Seto has been known to break a few hearts."

"Not mine." Jou snorted. "Hey don't make this about me. This is about Yugi, he's soft, his heart is too big for his chest and his brain can't win over it. If I have to see him in that state again I will kill you!" Jou walked out of the kitchen.

Yami shook his head as he opened his soda. Jou didn't know a thing. Yugi had to know that everything Yami was about to do was to help him learn to write better. If Yugi thought more of it, then it would be Yugi's fault if he got hurt. Either way Yami had a feeling Yugi would be a fun project. If a simple cupping of the cheek made him clay then Yugi would become liquid under the weight of Yami's body.

Yami sipped at his soda and leaned against the counter and let a smile play on his lips. "Whoa, someone's up to something." Tristan smiled as he entered the room with Serenity at his side. "Glad to see your ankle his better." He winked.

"I saw that." Serenity said, "That's alright Yami, because I get to pick the thing we are doing again." She smiled. "I am glad you weren't really hurt, though."

"Yeah but he would deserve it." Tristan said and peeled away from Serenity and looked out the window. "Well I guess I should shovel the walk again." He murmured. "I hate blizzards."

"Anyway, what is the thing you want to do?" Yami looked at Serenity. "I won't try to get out of it." He smiled genuinely and bowed his head a bit in sorrow.

"You won't want to." She smiled. "This thing is for Tristan and me only. So after Jou leaves you and Yugi will have the day alone in the cabin."

"What?" Tristan coughed.

"Right, I have noticed that you and Yugi seem to like each other. I want to help."

"Serenity, what have I told you about trying to be match maker?" Tristan looked at Yami, "I'm sorry man."

"No, it's alright. She's right,"

"She is?"

"I am?"

"Thank you, Serenity." Howfortuitous was this? Now He could finally help Yugi properly. There were less than three days left and it was about time.

"You are welcome." She smirked at Tristan and skipped off.

"You sure about this?"

"Positive." Yami smiled. "Don't you have a walk to shovel?" Tristan groaned and slid on a jacket and boots before heading out to the patio leaving Yami to plot.


	9. My First Love

**-My first Love-**

Yugi glanced up from his computer hearing voices and the slamming of a car door. The window was glazed over and hazy due to the previous night's Blizzard and he could only manage to see a green shadow ease its way out of sight. Jou had left without saying good-bye; Yugi frowned a bit and shook it off, if Jou was going to stay mad at him that was his issue. Yugi looked back at his computer. This was it, the Pharaoh and the Boy had neared the point of no return. Against the wishes of the gods, the Pharaoh would fall in love with the stable boy.

The curser blinked a few times and his mind slowly drifted back to the morning, when Yami had been in is room. Yugi's heart began to beat a little faster remembering the soft feel of Yami's fingers on his face, the way they curled around his cheeks and cause him to feel hot and cold at the same time, a tornado of emotions wreaking havoc on his organs. Yami's thumb lightly sliding down his lips like a drop of water from a cool fountain, that one moment flashed through his mind every time he blinked.

"See you later, Yami." Serenity's voice cut through the silence followed by a smooth baritone murmur, Yami was talking and Yugi found himself listening intently.

"Later, Man." Tristan's voice… wait. Serenity and Tristan were leaving them alone? Yugi felt pangs of dread and giddiness. The engine started and the Truck was out of sight.

Yugi began to panic and saved his work so far and shut his lap top, what would he do now? Yami wanted to show him how to write, judging from the lesson he was given earlier, it was bound to be something he would never forget. Yugi waited a few moments but Yami only walked through the hall and it his own room, was Yami coming to his room or not? Yugi stood up and crossed the room to his door and opened it to take a peek.

Maybe Yugi was reading too much into this, Yami was his boss and to think anything more could happen was foolish. Yugi let his hand slide from the doorknob, he had to rid himself of this crush or it would do just that, crush him into tiny bits of dust. He couldn't let himself fall that hard again.

He remembered the day he met his first love, the first man to take a piece of his heart and squeeze every last ounce of blood from it.

That cold day in February.

"_Marik, please sign my picture!" Girls surrounded the young actor as he sat at a small café table, he smiled, and he loved this sort of thing. Yugi held his picture tightly to his chest. He knew deep down that this man would be wonderful in real life. His characters were always so strong and adventurous. Marik Ishtar, Hollywood's favorite Egyptian, his sandy brown white hair, dark smooth tan, strong body. Of course he had to take his shirt off in every movie, which _

_was alright with Yugi. This crush formed over watching every single movie involving the Egyptian. _

"_Ladies, Ladies, please, I will get to all of you." He didn't sound to convincing; he loved the attention and the way they girls screamed for him. Yugi felt out of place but he couldn't miss the chance to have a look at his favorite movie star._

"_Marik, sign my boob." Yugi shook his head, how could that girl be so slutty. He began to feel very jealous. 'He's mine Bitch!' his eyes closed to little slit and he sent death glares at every girl Marik flashed his handsome smile at. And soon it was his turn, his hands shook and his arms wouldn't unfold. Marik was reaching for the picture he had held to his body for dear life. Marik smiled and grabbed up a picture from a girl signed it and handed it to Yugi. The girl next to Yugi was devastated but neither Yugi nor Marik cared. _

_And before Yugi knew it he was walking down the street with Marik's private number written on the back of his left hand. Yugi wrapped his right hand over his left as if shielding it from the world._

"_You aren't going to call him are you?" Jou asked as he glanced at Yugi's autographed picture. "He might be a good actor but what if he's fake, like all the others. You might be better off with this fantasy."_

"_Uhuh, and you tell me you wouldn't be all over going out with Mr. Kaiba, if you had the chance." Jou looked at him with a blush grazing his cheeks. "That's what I thought." Yugi jumped, "I can't believe this is happening to me." _

"_Yeah, yeah. So when are you going to call him?"_

"_Not too soon, yeah? I mean I don't want to seem desperate." Jou shrugged. "I guess I could call him tonight, he wouldn't have given it to me if he didn't want me to call, right?"_

"_Plus, he'll only be here for about a week." Jou said._

-

_That night Yugi sat cross-legged at his desk in his bedroom and punched in the number and rested his thumb on the call button but didn't push down, what would he say? Yugi blushed and slammed the phone down on the desk and ran his fingers through his hair then looked around his room at the many posters of Marik and his eyes landed on one, his favorite. _

_Marik as captured just as he lifted his shirt above his head, his arms frozen up above his head framing his face. He wore a seductive look and golden arm bands clung tightly to his dark skin. His chest glistened with sweat, Yugi's eyes followed each two dimensional muscle, down over his chest, his stomach and paused a moment over his navel. Yugi licked his lips and wondered just what sound Marik would make if Yugi were to dip his tongue into it just for a moment. Yugi's eyes followed the smooth tan body down even further; Marik's pants were wide open and _

_hanging dangerously from his hips. And from the shadows he could see Marik wore nothing underneath. _

"_That's it!" Yugi picked up the phone and dialed._

"_Yugi," Yugi could hear his smiled. "I was hoping you would call, I couldn't stop thinking about you."_

"_You couldn't? Bu-but I'm nobody."_

"_Don't say that. Anyway. Let's say you come down to the club, you are on the list and come visit me in the V.I.P. room?" _

"_I'll be there."_

"_Good, I can't wait. You know where it is right, Euphoria?"_

"_I've never been but I know where it is. I'll be there for sure." Yugi felt like screaming this man, his crush was asking him to a club. His first date and it was a movie star." _

"_I'll be waiting for you." Marik hung up leaving Yugi to jump around holding the phone tightly, buttons beeped as the Phone cried for air. Yugi stopped dancing and swallowed hard\. What do you wear to a night club? Yugi looked at his phone and called Jou. "You have to come over; I don't know what the hell to wear."_

"_Can't go wrong with dark pants and a black shirt." He said. "You know that tight one, let Marik see what you have to offer."_

"_Don't you think that will give him the wrong idea?"_

"_And what idea do you want to give him exactly?"_

"_I don't know…" Yugi bit his lip. "Alright."_

"_Don't drink anything."_

"_Why not?" _

"_Just don't." Jou warned once more. "And have fun." _

"_Thanks." Yugi tossed the Phone aside and jumped to his closet and dressed quickly before running out the door. "Be back by midnight, Grandpa! Did that sound like Cinderella? Well he felt like Cinderella… only manlier, yeah. Yugi shook his head and hopped into a cab and nervously tapped his foot on the ground as they drew closer._

"_First time down there?" the cabdriver smiled at him from the rearview mirror. Yugi glanced down at the name plate and smiled. _

"_Yeah, It's my first date too, James." He smiled._

"_Well don't be too nervous, the first time is always the worst." He stopped in front of the club. "No charge."_

"_Really? I can pay."_

"_It's alright, just think about the person waiting in there for you." James smiled and Yugi got out. _

"_Thank you!" Yugi ran to the club and stood in line. "I'll never get there in time. I knew this would be too good to be true."_

_Suddenly a bouncer grabbed him. "You Yugi?" Yugi nodded, too frightened to answer. "What are you doing in line." The Bouncer smiled and led him in gently. Yugi could hardly see a thing, loud house music blared from hidden speakers and lights strobed and swirled around like the last crumbs of Froot Loops. Yugi closed his eyes a moment and groaned at the musty scent of hundreds of people. He didn't care much for this._

_The bouncer led him up clear plastic stairs and opened a white door at the top with a keycard. "Master Marik, Yugi is here."_

_Marik smirked as girls did shots off of his stomach and smiled shoving them away. "Welcome Yugi." He rubbed the spot next to him. "Thank you." He waved the bouncer off and looked at the girl who had peeled themselves off the floor. "Excuse us ladies." The girls shuffled out of the room and shut the door behind them. "Yugi, come sit." He pat the seat this time._

_Yugi crossed the room carefully and finally sat next to him, his hands clasped between his legs as he looked down at the dirty carpet. "Thanks for inviting me."_

"_It's no problem. Listen, I don't have time for formalities, I think you are cute. I think we should go out."_

"_You do?"_

"_Yes." He smirked and placed a hand on Yugi's knee. "This is assuming you like me too."_

"_Well of course! Who wouldn't, you are amazing." Yugi covered his mouth. "I'm sorry, you must hate that."_

"_I love it." He smirked and slid his hand up Yugi's leg and turned his body so his knees were touching Yugi's and leaned in. "And I love that you are my new boyfriend."_

_Yugi giggled. "Say that again."_

"_You are my new boyfriend, Yugi."_

**-**

_Months passed and soon a year had gone by, Marik and Yugi were close but not as close as Marik would have hoped. He lit candles around the hotel room; he had to go to another movie in England and needed this night to go perfectly. He sprinkled the bed with flowers and plopped down in a chair and waited for Yugi to walk in._

_Sure enough, moments later, Yugi walked in and placed a bag of groceries on the counter and looked around the hotel room. "Marik I got the beer you wanted." He paused smelling lavender and rose petals. "Marik?"_

"_In here Yugi." Came his sensual voice, Yugi shivered and walked in to see Marik in a black leather underwear with a zipper in the front, in his hands he held a blindfold in his left hand and a whip in his right. "I want to try something fun."_

"_What are you… why are you dressed like that?"_

"_We are gonna have sex, Yugi. I don't want to wait anymore."_

"_But… No, I can't. Not like this. Let's just have sex the normal way; it will be my first time." Yugi swallowed hard as Marik walked over to him._

"_Come on Yugi, this will be fun, your first time will be so memorable." He smirked and wrapped an arm around Yugi and yanked him toward the chair he was sitting in and shoved him down. "Sit tight." He smirked again._

"_I don't want to do this!"_

"_You are just shy, someone has to push you. Relax." He said and slid the blindfold over his eyes. Yugi brought his hands up to remove it but Marik shoved them flat on the chair's surface then placed his knees over the back of Yugi's hands, effectively straddling him and pinning him in place. Yugi screamed and glared at Marik, only he couldn't see. _

"_Please don't do this, you are hurting me."_

"_It's supposed to hurt, and let me tell you, I bet you will be a wonderful screamer. This will be so fun." _

"_I don't want to!"_

"_Shut up! I have waited a whole year to do this. Trying to gain your trust. I knew from the first day I met you I would get you to scream my name. You will be begging for me to fuck you when I am done."_

"_Gaining my trust?"_

"_Yes, I thought you might be a good fuck, that's all but you are so damn shy, I had to wait. Well no more! I will have what I spent a year trying to get."_

"_This is rape!"_

"_Aw, no. people are always trying to sue celebrities for something. No one will believe you." He smirked and licked Yugi's cheek lustfully._

"_Please, Marik. Don't. I really did love you."_

"_Love doesn't exist."_

"_That's not true!" Yugi shivered and yanked at his hands which were numb by now. "Please. Let's just talk about this!" Yugi whimpered._

"_Hmm, I love that, beg me again."_

"_Let me go." Marik Glanced at the door as it opened and glared. "Who is it? Come in! Help me!"_

"_Yugi!" Yugi heard Jou's voice and sighed happily when Marik was forcefully yanked from his body but then his chair began to topple back and all he could remember was a sharp pain at the back of his head. _

_When Yugi came to he couldn't remember much, just that he loved Marik and that he was suddenly out of his life. "Jou, why would he just leave?"_

"_I don't know, Man. Hey, he was famous, just be glad you had that year with him. That's more than most people." Jou told him. He choked on the words but he couldn't bring himself to tell Yugi the truth about what happened. All Yugi would have to worry about was a lost love. Yugi had this faith in love that Jou couldn't bear to take from him._

But Yugi remembered as he glanced at the posters in his room. He remembered the harsh words and pain. He ripped the posters down one by one. Marik wouldn't take his faith from him. There was true love. There had to be. And that's when Yugi began to write romance novels.

He shook his head and stepped out into the hall. "Mr. Atemu." Yugi whispered and knocked on Yami's door. "I am nearly finished. There are about ten chapters left."

"I'll be there to check in a moment." He said and Yugi smiled before heading back to his room. He closed the door and leaned back against it. His heart was beating so fast. Yami wouldn't be like Marik. Jou was wrong to warn him. Yugi nodded to himself and took a breath before printing out the new chapters. Yami would be proud of him now and maybe a kiss would be the reward. Yugi closed his eyes and smiled brightly.


	10. An Educational Date

**-An Educational Date- **

Yami sat at Yugi's desk and read each chapter carefully making small sounds to himself leaving Yugi to wonder just what he liked or didn't like. Yugi wrung his hands together as he sat on his bed. "Yugi?" Yami's voice was soft and low. Yugi smiled.

"Yes?" Yugi stood up and moved to stand behind him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I think this trip was good for you." He smirked at the screen but gave Yugi a soft smile when he turned to look at him. "This is very good."

"You really think so?" Yugi's heart fluttered to life he couldn't believe his favorite editor liked his work. He was doing something right.

"Yes I do." This was Yami's chance. "Yugi would you like to have dinner with me?" He smiled when Yugi's eyes noticeably became hyper.

"Where will we go? I mean there aren't exactly very many restaurants up here."

"We will eat here. I'll make dinner and come to your door once it is ready. Sort of a homemade date." Yami made sure to put emphasis on the word date. He knew Yugi wouldn't be able to resist something like that, not that anyone could.

"A d-date?" Yugi muttered and smiled. "You're on." He smiled. Yami stood up and lightly ran his hand over Yugi's and left with a smile. Yugi's hand tingled from the contact. Did Yami just ask him on a date? That giddy feeling was returning this time Yugi had to gasp for a breath of air. He couldn't believe this.

Just be careful… Jou's words were blocked out by the panic of finding something to wear for his date. It had to be something perfect, something sexy. Yugi scrambled to his suitcase and dug to the bottom and found a pair of dark blue jeans and a white button-up shirt. It was casual, comfy, and perfect.

After a few hours Yami knocked on Yugi's door and smiled brightly when Yugi pulled his door open. "You look handsome." Yugi blushed. "Ah, here." He handed Yugi a small winter flower and winked. Yami sure knew how to charm someone. Yugi took the flower and cradled it in his small hands as if it were the most precious gem. "You ready?" Yugi nodded. "It's alright to talk."

"I know. I just, don't know what to say. You really like me or is this just a celebration of finishing my book?"

"You aren't finished just yet; there is still the love scene. But this isn't about work, this is about us." Yami winked giving Yugi his answer. He took Yugi's arm and led him to the dining room and Yugi gasped.

The room was a soft golden hue, warm and inviting. Yami had drawn the curtains leaving the cold hidden behind them. Candles were scattered around the room and the soft scent of lavender and rain hung in the air. Yugi inhaled deeply to take it all in. he loved both of those scents. "How did you know about the lavender and rain?"

"You only use those two candle scents in your stories." Yami admitted and pulled a chair out from the table.

"You read them?" Yugi sat down and looked over at the flowers in the center of the table, the stick candles dripped wax down their long stems making the flowers glitter in waxy dew.

"Of course." Yami smiled. "They aren't too bad."

"Wow." Yugi smiled and took in the new haze of feelings. Yami really liked him. Not just his books, him. "So what did you make for us? It sure smells good."

"Ah, well I wanted to repay you for the other day." Yugi blinked, what other day? "So I made breakfast for dinner." Yami said and sat a plate of strawberry pancakes in front of him. Yugi laughed and Yami's face dropped cutely. "What is so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just cute." Yugi wiped his eyes and looked up at Yami who cracked a smile. "Thank you. How did you find out?"

"Jenkins told me all about it. I know you were doing it to be nice to him but I would have been angry without them." He smiled.

"Wow, and I thought you were pretty bad after you got them."

"That was Yami Atemu the boss. This is just Yami." He winked and sat his plate down and sat across from Yugi. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Yugi smiled and picked up his fork and began to eat. "Wow, this is better than Ihop."

"Thank you."

After a few moments of silence Yugi couldn't take it anymore and he remembered just how close Yami was to Tristan. "Tristan is very nice, how did you two meet?" Yami nearly choked on his bite of pancake but managed through it. "I'm sorry I just, I've never seen anyone so close to someone."

"It's alright. It's a very long story. He was there when I needed him. Of course that is the only way to learn who your true friends are."

"That's true. It's the same with Jou and me." Yugi smiled, "I guess that's why I put a character like him in every story. He makes me remember what true friendship is about." Oh no, his crush 

was coming back up. "He's with Mr. Kaiba right now though." He said more so to remind himself.

"It sounds like you are pretty upset about that. It is understandable though, I bet Seto is a horrible boyfriend. Jou must get treated pretty badly." Yugi shook his head.

"Jou's father used to beat him. And sure Jou can take care of himself but not when his dad sneaks up behind him or comes at him while he is sleeping. Mr. Kaiba just happened to be there at the right time. Deep down I think Mr. Kaiba is a good guy. He's just hard. If you have ever heard Jou talk about him, you know see how much he really cares about Jou."

"You are amazing. How can you see the world the way you do? You think too much of people. Deep down we are all out for ourselves."

"I don't believe that." Yugi leaned in. "For instance, I write my books for others to enjoy."

"But you make a pretty good amount of money off of them."

"Yes but…"

"See, we are all the same, it's nothing to be ashamed about, it's in our nature." Yami shook his head he was going to stray from the object at hand. He had to get Yugi to trust him enough to take his virginity. Yami had to step it up a bit. "But I admire you for trying to look on the bright side."

"Someone has to." He smiled softly and nibbled on the prongs on his fork. "I suppose that's why we have such different views on love as well."

"Ah, well that's exactly what I was thinking." He smiled. "I wanted to show you just what I was talking about. I want to help you with your last chapter." Yami got up and rounded the table and stood before Yugi.

"Alright. I'll get some paper" Yugi stood up and made his way over to the coffee table to grab a notebook. Yami's arms were around his waist instantly and Yugi stiffened until Yami's fingertips ran through his hair massaging his scalp pulling his hair softly. Yugi's body relaxed as Yami drew him closer and ran the tip of his nose along the shell of Yugi's ear and into his hair.

Yugi smelled of vanilla and lavender and Yami couldn't help but think about how well the boy fit in his arms, so close, he wanted to pull Yugi in further, to feel his heart beat in time with his. Yami's soft lips brushed up against Yugi's ear and he smirked. "No paper." He whispered and Yugi's fingers loosened and the notebook slipped from his fingers like sunlight through a screen. It made a loud flutter and was forgotten on the floor. "Let me show you what lust and love have in common."

Yugi took a breath and his hands found their way into Yami's hair where he pulled the editor back and looked into his eyes. "Show me." Yugi's lip quivered, he couldn't take it back now, not that he wanted to. He was Yami's now.

That's all Yami needed to hear, he grabbed Yugi's hand and pulled it over his shoulder yanking Yugi into a kiss. Yugi let out a sharp gasp, just what Yami needed to slide his tongue into the waiting mouth. Yugi closed his eyes tightly at the intrusion but he relaxed again when the sensations of Yami's moist tongue roamed his mouth.

Yami's hand left Yugi's around his neck and slowly ran down the length of Yugi's arm and to the buttons of his white shirt. Keeping Yugi occupied with the kiss was the easy part; there were more things to come. Yami's kiss ended but he tilted his head to the other side and began a new one. Yugi wasn't fighting him for dominance and it was a little irritating. So he stopped his hands and grabbed the writer's shoulders and concentrated on the kiss.

Yugi let out a soft moan of approval at the new position of his kiss but what was happening, Yami's tongue was withdrawing. He had to keep up; he loved his taste, the feel of the soft wet muscle tickling his mouth. He slowly pressed the tip of his tongue against Yami's and followed it into his mouth and gasped at the new sensation. Yami tasted even better, Yugi could feel Yami smile against his lips. Yugi wanted more.

Yami pulled away it was time to move on to more exciting things. His fingers managed to find each of Yugi's buttons and pull them loose during the kiss. Yugi's skin was hot and begging to be touched, Yami let his hands roam from the center of Yugi's chest and outward ghosting over his nipples making them harder. "Oh…" Yugi swallowed against the lump in his throat. Yami's hands felt so good, a shiver ran down his spine.

"How does this feel?" Yami's voice was heavy with lust. "Think you could remember this?"

"D-defiantly." Yugi murmured. What did he just agree to? He didn't care he only wanted Yami to continue, these feelings were almost too much but he wanted to see where they went.

"That's good." Yami's hands slowly traveled up Yugi's chest and rounded his shoulders causing Yugi's silken shirt to river off his body and flutter to the ground. Yami dropped his head and buried his face in the crook of Yugi's neck and pressed his lips to the pulsating vein in Yugi's neck and dragged his teeth up and down along the vein slowly. He felt Yugi shiver and his little hands grabbed fistfuls of his hair.

"That… feels so good." Yugi murmured.

"It should." Yami smiled and left a trail of open-mouth kisses along his collar and slipped a hand down Yugi's stomach, lower and lower. Yugi was feeling too much to notice, his head was foggy, and swimmy, and if pot felt like this he was sure he would smoke it every day.

"Ohhh…" Yugi leaned his head back exposing more of his throat to Yami, which Yami gladly took advantage of, he latched onto Yugi's soft skin and began to suck. "What's that… mmm?"

Yami ignored the question and popped open the button of Yugi's jeans, he could feel the small bulge hidden within. If he wanted to see Yugi he would have to before Yugi could fell his growing need. Yami pulled the zipper down and slipped his hand inside. Yugi's eyes went wide and his breath hitched violently. Yami ended his hickie making and ran his nose up Yugi's jaw and to his temple where his tongue could tease Yugi's earlobe. "Relax, little one."

Yugi said nothing, he just stared into space, his heart was pounding, trying to escape his chest. Yami smiled and slipped a hand into Yugi's boxers and wrapped his fingers around the base of Yugi's cock and slowly rolled his fingers down its entire length, "Oh god. Yami! Ahhh." Yugi's cheeks flushed red and his breaths came in short quick pants. Yami's fingers rounded over Yugi's head slowly and his thumbnail flicked at the slit at the very tip. "AH! Nn… St…" Yugi's hips bucked as Yami's hand gave him a quick jerk.

"Like that little one?" Yugi nodded slowly he couldn't form words no matter how hard he tried. "Would you like me to show you more?" Yami smirked. "All you have to do is ask."

Why was Yami making this so hard for him, didn't he know that Yugi forgot how to talk? "Mm... sh… ye…more…" Yugi managed. That must have been good enough for Yami because he felt two hands force his pants and boxers to the floor. Yami then picked him up and sat him on the top of the sofa and ran his hands over the soft white thighs. Yugi's erection sat tall and proud between his thighs.

"Hold on Yugi," Yami whispered and smiled as Yugi's fists grabbed hold of the couch fabric tightly. Yami smiled and leaned down slowly and let his soft breath ticked at Yugi's head before he flicked his tongue out at it. Yugi screamed softly and Yami took his head into his mouth and swirled his tongue around slowly as if he would a Charms Blow pop.

"YAMI…" Yugi's hips bucked up once again and Yami brought his hands to pin Yugi's thighs to the couch. But he gave Yugi what he was looking for once again. He tightened his lips around Yugi's shaft as he took him in deeper. When his nose brushed up against Yugi's soft dark hair he knew that was enough and slowly began to withdraw Yugi's long cock. He could feel Yugi panic, worried about the pleasure leaving him. Yami rubbed Yugi's thighs with his thumbs and sank his head back down. "AH! Hhhh…." Yugi panted and screamed as Yami bobbed his head up and down slowly varying between tight lips and loose ones.

Yami slowly ran his hand down and under Yugi's shaft and cupped Yugi's balls in his soft hands. Yugi almost lost his voice on the scream he produced from that little gesture. Yami's head slowed a little as he brought his other hand to Yugi's mouth, he held two fingers to his lips and Yugi opened slowly taking them in. he didn't know what he was doing this for but who was he to deny the one giving him so much pleasure? He ran his tongue through the fingers and all around, he had to keep from biting them as Yami's tongue rolled up the underside of his cock.

Once Yami felt it was enough he pulled his fingers free leaving a long trail of saliva on Yugi's chin. Suddenly Yugi cried out, His cum burst into Yami's mouth but Yami didn't mind, it was like he knew it was coming and Yugi panted harshly and smiled when Yami licked him clean. Yami pulled away and looked up at Yugi with dark eyes. "My turn, Aibou." He smirked and pushed Yugi back causing him to fall on the couch and roll to the floor where Yami pounced on him. His fingers were still wet and Yugi was still hazy it was perfect. Yami spread Yugi's legs and planted his feet flat on the ground and slowly slid the fingers into Yugi.

"AH…. YAMI… no…." Yugi writhed slowly should he get away or wait for more. He didn't have a chance to answer, something inside him tickled and his heart moved faster a scream left his soft pink lips. Yami had found his prostate with ease and began to jam his fingers against it with a mixture of force and soft pressure.

"Yes, Yugi, feel that, Feel what my fingers can do to you. Think about what I could do if I were buried deep inside you. I can show you something you have never seen, make you feel things that are unimaginable. Let me be your first."

"YES. Yes Yami, take me! Please show me" Yugi whimpered when Yami pulled his fingers free, he stared at the ceiling for quite awhile. Did Yami leave him? He looked to his left when he felt a rush of wind blow at him. Yami had dropped his clothes beside him.

"Ready Yugi?" Yami crawled toward him and pulled Yugi's legs apart further and lifted his ankle leaving a kiss on each one before placing them on his shoulders. Yami grabbed Yugi's hips and slowly pushed his warm slick head into Yugi. Slick? Why? Yugi moaned feeling a slight cool fizzle like drinking champagne. "It's a special lubrication, meant for first timers it takes your mind off of the pain."

Yugi blinked, Pain? He felt Yami slide all the way in but he felt no pain at all, the lube must have worked. But now Yugi wanted more. "Yami please…"

"Alright, little one, relax." He held Yugi's hips tight and began to pull out and just as his tip was about to slip free he slammed back into Yugi hard and straight into his prostate. Yugi threw his head back and screamed loudly. Was this what he was missing! Oh god it was powerful, it was hard to describe. His whole body ached to be touched, his finger tips burned with the need to touch, every single inch of his mind and soul were devoured all that was left was his body and the heat.

Yami stopped suddenly buried to the hilt deep inside the writer and smirked. "What do you want me to do? Say it."

"Yami…make Lo…"

"No! Say it!" Yami smirked. "I'll stop." He warned and began to pull his cock free.

"No, please don't stop."

"Then say it. Tell me just what you want."

Yugi shook his head and bit his lip he couldn't hold it back he knew what he wanted and how he wanted it. "FUCK ME."

"Good boy." Yami stroked his cheek and kept a painfully slow pace.

"No… too slow."

"Hmm? I can't hear you." Yami was so cruel.

"FUCK ME FASTER, harder! Please!" Well who was Yami to deny a request so deliciously delightful? Yami dug his nails into Yugi's hips and began to fuck him senseless. Yugi's body undulated and snapped up from the ground a few times, he was enjoying this to its fullest. Yami leaned down and took a waiting nipple into his mouth and flicked his tongue at it. Yugi's cock folded up and rubbed up against his stomach; Yami could feel the pre-cum on his soft skin and smirked.

"AHH… Hhh AH…. Ooooh My god!" Yugi screamed along with Yami's grunts and moans, he was enjoying this as much as he was… god it felt so good. Yami slammed into his prostate over and over again and his teeth grazed against his nipples and bite down from time to time. So much was going on Yugi couldn't decide what to concentrate on more.

And soon a new sensation was added; Yami wrapped his hands round Yugi's cock and began pumping up and down. Tears rolled down from the corners of Yugi's eyes, it felt so good what else could he do? Yami kissed his lips and continued his assault on Yugi's body. His cock pushing deeper still inside of Yugi, his lips massaging Yugi's, and his hands tightly jerking off his little one. And soon they both let out cried of climax, Yugi's cum covering their chests and Yami's come slowly running its way down Yugi's thighs as Yami pulled out of him.

"Remember that little one." Yami panted and moved to lay next to Yugi his breaths coming in soft pants. "Rest now." Yami whispered and shut his eyes.

"I love you." Yugi swallowed hard and drifted off to sleep slowly.

"And sometimes it's not about love." He admitted and waited to catch his breath before dressing himself and Yugi and taking him to bed before returning to the room to clean up their mess. Surely Yugi would never forget this. Yami smirked. Now he would have his final chapter and be able to rub it in Kaiba's face. He had four days left to publish the book and send a copy to the times for a review. He won.


	11. Minor Happenings Plot Thickenings

**-Minor Happenings. Plot Thickenings-**

Yami's eyes opened slowly at the sound of soft tapping on a keyboard and propped himself up on his elbows. Yugi sat naked at the desk and nibbled on the end of a cap lost in thought. An inquisitive eyebrow rose on Yami's face and he smiled at how sexy the writer could be without even trying. Yugi didn't notice him yet and Yami took that time to figure out his next move.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Yugi's voice shook Yami from his brain and he smiled dumbly. "I can see you in my screen, are you okay?" he turned his head to face the editor, his head cocked to the side his soft lips frowning at the thought that something might be wrong.

"Yeah…" Yami sat up right and the sheet skimmed down his naked chest revealing every well toned crevice. Yami ran a hand through his hair and yawned, "I'm fine."

"You should be, I am almost finished with the love scene, I just have to put it in the right place and then we can head back home and turn it in." Yugi smiled and pushed save before sliding out of his chair. He moved like an angle across the room and crawled onto the bed toward Yami and sat back on his legs and smiled. "And let me just say, last night was amazing. I can't even think of a better word for it. It was better than any feeling I have ever felt in my entire lifetime."

Yami smiled and ruffled Yugi's hair. "I'm glad you think so." Yugi smiled and leaned in slowly to kiss him but Yami inched away casually. "I think that you should finish up the story. We should leave early so we can get there before the publisher gets too busy." Yugi smiled and nodded before heading back to his computer.

Yami slipped out of the bed and grabbed up his clothes before heading into the bathroom. Yugi smiled and leaned back in his chair hoping to get a peek at Yami but sadly the door had been shut. Yugi looked back at the screen and finished writing the final chapter and printed it out. "There all finished."

"Good. The rest of the manuscript is on my desk." Yami said over the flowing water from the sink, "and get dressed, Serenity and Tristan are back." He added and Yugi knew that was the end of any further conversation when he heard the shower kick on.

Yugi smiled sweetly and placed his hands on the bathroom door his fingers curled slightly feeling the smooth wood with his fingertips. A soft hum drifted through the keyhole and Yugi smiled softly and shut his eyes. Yami had shown him more love that he had ever imagined existed. Just thinking about the fact that Yami actually loved him back was enough to excite him. Yugi lifted one hand from the door and held it over his heart. It was certainly a consuming love. This is what Yugi had been looking for, the only thing worth living for. He let out a sigh.

The water stopped and Yugi realized that he had been standing outside the door for quite some time. He looked around the room for something that would explain his presence to Yami and smiled seeing that Yami had forgotten his towel on the edge of the bed. Yugi wasted no time in scooping it up, he smiled back at the door just as it opened. "I thought you might need this." He 

smiled cutely and made sure to keep his gaze up at Yami's eyes which wasn't really hard to do since Yami's eyes could hold anyone captive.

Yami let out a smooth chuckle and grabbed the towel from him happily. "Thank you, little one." He said and ruffled Yugi's hair. "What would I do without you?"

"Let's see, without me you would: be cold and wet and… hmm oh yeah, out of a job." Yugi winked and gasped as Yami dropped his towel and threw his arms around him grabbing is ass yanking Yugi's body to his. Yugi's face went red and his hands twitched with anxiousness. "S-So… um"

Yami's hands slowly ran up Yugi's spine and tangled in his hair, "I thought I told you to get dressed, were you standing outside the door this whole time?" Yami leaned down and buried his nose in Yugi's hair and inhaled deeply.

Busted. "Yes. I'm sorry." Yugi admitted weakly. Why was he acting this way? Just a few days ago he was ready to rip the editor's head off and now, now Yami could make him act like a freshmen on the first day of school walking through a line of boys taking in the fresh meat. Yugi shook his head trying to figure out what Yami had just said. "wha-"

"Get your things together." Yami pushed him away, scooped up the towel from the ground, and went back into the bathroom.

Yugi picked up his manuscript and shuffled across the hall to his room. He cocked his head to the side catching a glimpse of the Book of Creation on his desk. He could have sworn he left it back at the office. Magic? He shook his head and lifted the cover shoving his manuscript into it to keep it straight during the ride back then proceeded to pack.

**--**

"You really can't stay?" Serenity stood on the porch wrapped in Tristan's arms cupping a mug of hot chocolate in her tiny hands.

"We really must get back to work." Yami looked back at her after shutting the trunk. "I'll be back though." He smiled.

"Don't you mean we'll be back?" Yugi winked at him and slid into the passenger's seat.

"Right." Tristan watched Yami carefully, he knew what this was. Yami was done with him already.

"Yes, we can go sledding again." Serenity smiled and waved them off as the doors closed. "Don't they make a good couple?" she smiled up at Tristan.

"Yeah." He replied hesitantly and held her close. "I don't know about that just yet." He admitted and turned back into the house drawing her in as well. Yugi would be the perfect balance for Yami, all Tristan could do was hope Yami would see it before it was too late.

Meanwhile, Yugi looked out the window staring at the reflection of Yami and blushed again and held the book of creation close. "You did a good job." Yami's voice broke the silence. "I read it while you were packing."

"You… did you like it?"

"I did. I was especially impressed by the maliciousness of your antagonist, Bakura. Hopefully you don't know anyone like that." Yami gave him a sideways glance. "Where did you come up with him?"

"Well I am very good at making up villains, I'm not a stranger to them. I have been picked on and bullied all through middle and High School." Yugi looked at him. "Bakura is just a mix of all of them. And I had to give him a reason to hate the Pharaoh so I used the Pharaoh's father. Of course Atemu's father didn't mean to kill all of those people. Anyway, he's not a real person if that's what you're thinking."

"I only asked because you based a lot of characters on people you know." Yugi swallowed hard and looked down at his hands. "It's alright, a lot of writers do it."

"Well yeah, I mean you have to write what you know." Yugi winked. "I was thinking, once this is all over maybe we could go out, you know, a second date."

"Listen Yugi, about that…" Yami was interrupted as a truck turned into their lane causing Yami to slam on the breaks over an icy patch. The car went spinning into the forest; branches made deep long cuts into the car's paint and broke the windows. Everything happened so fast Yami and Yugi had no time to register what was going on.

Yugi clutched the book tightly in his hands but as his reflexes took hold of his body the book became his last priority. The finally stopped spinning, its side plowed into a tree. "That Fucker!" he looked over at Yugi. "Are you alright, Yugi?" The car let out a slow hiss or relief.

"Y-Yeah." Yugi looked down at his arms and gasped. "The manuscript!" Yugi looked through the broken window seeing papers scattered all over the ground. "No!" Yugi ripped his seatbelt away and pushed the door open and scampered off into the snow to collect the pages. Yami pried his hands from the wheel and took a deep breath.

Yugi walked back up to the window, "good news, Bad news and worst news. Which one first?"

"Don't worry about the car; I can take care of it. What's the bad news?

"Every page is ruined and if I don't hurry the ink will run away, and my lap top is trashed." Yami growled, Kaiba would win because of this? "The good news is, I can hand write faster than I type, I can copy it down in this book then we can just make copies at work. I just have to save it before the snow erases the ink."

Yami let out a long breath, "Get started, I'm going to call for roadside assistance." Yami picked up his cell phone as Yugi picked up a pen and began writing his story in the Book of Creation.

**--**

"No!" Seto slammed the phone down on his desk and pushed away from this computer. "Impossible." Jou crawled out from under the desk and wiped his mouth.

"What happened?" Jou stood up slowly.

"It seems I underestimated him again!" Seto placed his hand flat on his desk and thought a moment as Jou pulled his pants back up and buttoned and zipped them. "Well it's too bad I let the publishers have a date off." He picked up his phone once more and dialed.

"What do you mean? Don't you think that's cheating?" Jou shivered when a hand cupped his cheek. "I guess not." Jou swooned softly at the gentle touch only he got to enjoy.

Jou slipped away from him and left the office as Seto set his plan in motion, how could he let him do this, Yugi was his best friend; he couldn't let him get fired. But Seto was his man. He rounded the corner and let out a scream as he ran into Yugi in the hall. "What are you doing here man?"

"Well I work here." Yugi winked. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you." Jou nodded. "Well I have news. I finally did it." He grabbed Jou's hands in his tiny ones and smiled brightly.

"Did what?" Yugi's eyes slid to the left catching a glimpse of Yami in his office. "Oh. OH!" Jou looked at Yami then back at Yugi. "Are you serious? Why? How could you do that, Yugi?"

"He loves me."

"Did he say that?"

"Well… no but-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there, he doesn't love you. It's the same as before. Yugi you gave him your virginity but that's all it was to him. You don't understand guys like that."

"How can you say that? I can't believe you!" Yugi's hands balled at his sides. "He loves me and I love him. Jou he is the one for me. He never would have slept with me if he didn't."

"You are so naïve." Jou said. "He's playing you! Dammit, I can't believe you are fucking letting this happen again. You are so stupid." Yugi raised his hand and slapped Jou across the face, tears ran down his cheek and his hand hurt but what Jou was saying wasn't true. "Did you just slap me?" Jou glared at him, Yugi only managed to cause a small glow of red to color Jou's cheek. "I am just trying to help you."

"Maybe I don't need your help." People in the surrounding offices poked their heads out of their doors at the commotion.

"Then I won't ever help you again."

"Fine!"

"I think our friendship should end here then."

"Good! I wouldn't want to be friends with you anyway." Yugi turned on his heels and stalked off to his office and slammed the door feeling hurt and a bit childish.

Yami stood up and walked into Yugi's office. "What just happened?"

"Jou and I are no longer friends, that's what. And good riddance." Yugi slammed his book down on the desk. "He was just telling lies, like he always does."

"Yugi, relax. You think it was wise to get rid of such a friend?"

"Yes, now can we drop this? Let's get this to the publisher." He ran his hand over the golden leather on the edge of the Book of Creation.

"I just called them. Hans has the day off. Kaiba is trying to slow us down. Anyway, it looks like we can't get anything else done today, get some rest we have a big day tomorrow. Go home."

"Come with me. I don't think I can be alone tonight."

"Yugi, I have a lot of…" Yami watched as the boy's face dropped and let out a long sigh. This one defiantly knew how to get him to feel sympathetic. He supposed he owed Yugi a night of comfort since the young writer was going to help him win the bet. "Alright, just let me save a few things and we'll go together. We'll have to take a cab; my car is still in the shop." Yugi nodded and waited for Yami to finish before leaving the office with him.

"It feels so good to be finished with the story." Yugi said as the door shut behind him.

--

Beneath the glow of the moon the Book of Creation sparkled and the cover slowly peeled itself open and the pages flipped as if the wind blew through them. A dark cackle filled the quiet room and the pages stopped and a ripple of light poured out. Suddenly a man with hair as white as snow and as sharp as thorns stepped out.


	12. Cry For Help

**-Cry For Help-**

The moonlight reflected off of a sinister grin of jagged teeth, this dark smiled belonged to the dark man that only moments ago peeled himself from the pages of a book. The reason behind his smile were the elements that made this night so fitting for his resurrection; the full blue moon, the sliver clouds that strung through the sky lazily, the stench of a world filled to the brim with hatred, and the fact that on a night like this he was sentenced to an afterlife in the shadows. Now it was his turn, he would have fun this time around; he had thousands of years to think of just the right way to finish what he had started.

He glanced around the room and snarled low in his throat, this world had changed in those many years but he didn't mind he loved a challenge. He laughed at the king's foolish attempt to stop him in his plans. The only thing that pathetic king succeeded in doing was prolonging the inevitable. Finally, Bakura the thief king would bring his master into the world, darkness itself, Zork.

Looking down at the book that awoke him and laughed, how fortuitous. The very book that locked him away was the one he needed to bring the dark lord to the living world. Only a few simple ingredients were left to complete his search. He needed the book, the seven items, and the blood of the pure heart freshly tainted with hate. He ran his tongue over his sharp teeth and closed his eyes at the taste of blood that filled his mouth. He picked up the book by the spine and held it tightly as an evil laugh sprang from his lips once more.

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, his mouth hanging open like a snake waiting to bite whosoever got close enough to him. The door to the darkened room opened slowly and a small man with a nervous aura glanced at him. Who was this pathetic human he smirked at the man showing off his blood coated teeth.

--

Jenkins tried not to look at the bloody teeth in the mouth of the Stanger in the shadows but it was no use, he found himself wondering what death would feel like, he felt like cutting open his chest and ripping out his heart so he could watch himself die as he squeezed it. His legs were heavy as if hot black tar was weighing him down. The dark figure approached and Jenkins tried to pull back from the feelings of darkness that washed over him and suddenly a scream filled the room. It only took Jenkins a second to realize it was his before the world went black.

**--**

Seto slammed his briefcase down on his desk and looked down through his window at the couple that walked toward the building with confidence. Yami Atemu and Yugi Motou, how could they have possibly finished the book in a week? Seto clenched his fists at his sides and glared down at them. He would find a way to defeat Yami if it was the last thing he did. He turned on his heels and picked up the phone. "Yes, tell him that I am ready for him. Yes of course." Seto barked through his teeth, "If they didn't do it would I be on the phone with you right now? No." he took a breath, "tell him at midnight tonight. The alarms will be off for a thirty second period. That 

should be time enough for him to get in and out. If he gets caught I will deny ever knowing the two of you." He slammed the phone back down and smirked darkly.

"Why are you so happy, you fire a guy with a family to support?" Seto looked up to see Yami leaning against the right side of his doorframe, legs and arms crossed arrogantly.

"Yami, welcome." Seto smiled holding back his anger. "Come in, and shut the door." Yami raised an eyebrow and shrugged doing as he was told. "I suppose you think you've one."

"As usual." Yami smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Well I am afraid that having it hand written in a book does not count. It must be typed and in manuscript form."

"Yugi is working on it." Yami smirked. "The manuscript will be on your desk by this afternoon." Yami's eyes glossed over at the thought of Seto finally conceding defeat. "So I guess I well be keeping my job."

Seto laced his fingers in front of him as his elbows rested on the table; he leaned over resting his chin on top of them and smiled wildly. "Here's the thing. I may have wanted to get rid of you because I… well I hate you, but there was also a reason. I kept something from you. As you know the world's prices are going up and well I have to make cut backs. I thought that by getting rid of you through this bet I would be killing two birds with one stone."

"What are you saying exactly?"

"I am saying that if you win."

"If?"

"Yes if. There is still a chance for you to lose in this. After all I want to see the hard copy of this book by tomorrow at midnight." Seto smiled. "So if you win I will still need to fire someone."

"And, what does this have to do with me?"

"Well I have it on good authority," Seto glanced at a picture of Jounouchi he kept on his desk and smiled, "That you and Yugi have become somewhat of an item."

"Who told you that?"

"That is none of your concern. What I wanted to talk to you about is that you know you cannot let your relationships at home get in the way of your work and you are the editor in chief."

"You want me to fire Yugi?" Yami glared at him. "We were under the impression that Yugi and I would keep our jobs if we won."

"So it's we now, is it? There is something between you two."

"I didn't say that! Stop twisting my words." Yami stood up, "let's get something straight here, I don't give a damn about Yugi but I won't do your dirty work either. If you want to fire him then do it." Yami turned and swiftly left the room slamming the door behind him.

"Are you alright, Yami?" Yugi looked up from his computer with concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Yugi, just keep typing we have until midnight tomorrow." Yami walked into his office and glared a bit. His blinds were down, his office was completely unprepared, where was his coffee and his copy of the bestseller list? "Yugi, have you seen Jenkins."

"No, come to think of it, I haven't." Yugi kept typing as he spoke. "Maybe he called in sick."

"No. He's never called in sick a day in his life." Yami pulled up his blinds and let out a scream. "What the fuck is this!" Yugi ran into his office and gasped, the usually clear windows were covered with a black smoke and a note written from the outside backwards so it could be read from the inside. "Kill the King." Yugi mouthed along as Yami read aloud. "This is from-"

"-the book" Yugi gasped. "No, that's not right."

"It's the same. In your book Bakura writes this on the palace walls with ashes from his house that was burned in his village." Yami glared. "It's Seto, or someone trying to freak us out. The book was here all night. There are only three people who could have done this."

"It could have been Jounouchi." Yugi admitted still a little numb from his fight with the blonde.

"Hmm, don't worry about it then. I'll get someone here to clean it up. Finish the manuscript please." Yugi nodded but paused catching a glimpse of Yami's confused face. Perhaps his boss didn't believe it was Joey or anyone they knew for that matter. "Let me know if Jenkins calls." Yugi walked out slowly. He was suddenly so distant; he noticed that last night when Yami made him sleep on the couch rather than in the bed next to him.

It was true that Yami was under a lot of stress and Yugi didn't really know too much about him but this was all too much. Wasn't their night of passion enough to let Yami know that there were no false pretenses when it came to Yugi showing his love? Yugi smiled if Jou could get someone like Seto Kaiba to open up then Yugi could do the same with Yami. He was in love with the editor and nothing would make him give up.

Yugi sat down at his computer and flipped to the last page of the book to copy it and did a double take at the next page. There were seven brand marks on the page each one looked similar in that they seemed to be ancient Egyptian antiquities. "What are these?" Yugi ran his fingers over the burnt indentions. Yugi pulled his fingers away as the symbols lit up under his touch. The symbol consisted of a pyramid, a key, necklace, rod, eye, and a ring with five golden 

pointers hanging from it, and a scale. All seven were circled around a drawn pencil mark of a monster.

Yugi shook his head and finished copying the book onto the computer. Whoever pulled the prank in Yami's office must have drawn it. Yugi pushed print and shut the book quickly and received an image of when he was given the book. "Magic?"

"Yugi is that your manuscript you are printing?"

"Uh." Yugi shook his head and smiled. "Yes."

"Wonderful. Could you come here a moment?" Yugi jumped out of his seat and walked over to him slowly. "Sir?"

"Have a seat." Yami swept out his hand over the chair in front of him. "I have something to tell you."

"Yes." Yugi sat down carefully and looked over Yami's perfectly chiseled face over his wet full lips and licked his own remembering the feeling of Yami's lips on his. On places he never knew existed.

"You did a very good job; I have to admit that when I first met you I didn't think you could pull something like this off. Thanks to my help you finally know what love and lust are."

"Well I have to thank you for that." Yugi took a breath, "I think we should go out and celebrate. I've wanted to ask you out. Would you like to go to the new club with me?"

Yami thought for a moment, Yugi was fun to be around and Yugi did scream in a way that made Yami's mouth water just by hearing it. One more night of passionate sex wouldn't hurt. "Sure, Yugi, I will pick you up."

"No! I um… I just want… well I want to take you out. You took care of the last two dates."

"Well if you insist."

"I'll pick you up at nine." Yugi stood up and walked out the door only to peek his head in. "Oh and wear something hot." He blushed and continued his journey to his office.

--

A few hours later Jenkins stumbled through the door looking a little shaken and a little more nervous than usual. "Where have you been?" Yami's voice broke the silence. "And what happened to you?"

"Nothing sir, just trying a new thing."

"Being late is your new thing? Look, my windows have been black for hours now; I need them to be cleaned. The window cleaner is in Yugi's office, He is out to lunch right now so just go in there and get it. And after that I need you to put this manuscript on Seto's desk." Yami placed his hand on the stack of papers that were soon to be Yugi's book to indicate the manuscript and walked back into his office and shut the door.

"Uh… Yes, sir." This was perfect. Jenkins thought and decided to bring the manuscript to Seto first. Luckily Seto was too busy to notice that he had brought it in and he was able to escape with relative ease.

Jenkins returned to Yugi's office and smiled to see that he had not yet returned from lunch and spotted the book on the corner of the desk. He scooped it up and put it into his large office bag and grabbed up the window cleaner as well.

"Hey, Jenkins." Yugi smiled as he walked in. "How are you feeling? You don't look too good." He walked over to him and examined him a little closer. "Oh no!" Jenkins froze. "Give me that." Jenkins was surprised to find that Yugi was talking about the window cleaner rather than the book. "Yami is making you wash the windows? I am sure that is not your job."

"Sir."

"I don't want to hear about it. You shouldn't have to do that. Take the day off. I'll talk to Yami for you." Yugi shoved Jenkins out the door and toward the elevator. "Get some rest." Yugi waved him off as the elevator door closed.

Jenkins smiled, Yugi had practically helped him take the book and get away with it. He walked out of the elevator and rounded a corner before vanishing without a trace. A dark laugh echoed through the alley and melted into the sounds of the city.


	13. Stuff Is Messed Up

**-Stuff Is Messed Up-**

"Wear something hot huh?" Yami smirked at his reflection in the full-length mirror; his leather pants hugged every toned curve of his legs and nicely defined the bulge between his legs. He wrapped a belt around his waist purposely failing to use his belt loops which caused the studded belt to lean to one side as the other side hung on his hip. He glanced back at the bed and scooped up his favorite red shirt and closed his eyes as the cool fabric hugged his arms and caressed his back. Nimble fingers quickly pulled buttons to their matching holes and covered his perfectly tanned chest little by little. "A little goes a long way, now the final touches." He reached onto his dresser and opened a box. He pulled out a studded collar and put it around his neck. Perfect. Yugi wanted hot, he would get it.

**--**

Yugi cursed himself for saying he would pick Yami up… Pick him up in what exactly? His truck was impounded because he had left it on the side of the road. He couldn't very well call Jou; they were, after all, no longer on speaking terms. "Damn." Yugi whispered under his breath. He slowly crossed the room and pulled up a huge phone book, he would just have to get a cab or rent a limo. A limo would be too much; he thought and decided to call a rental car. He would only need it for the night. He smiled, with that done he could get dressed. But what would he wear. "Something Mr. Atemu hasn't seen yet."

Yugi climbed into his overflowing closet and yanked back hanger after hanger trying to find the best thing to wear on his second date with Atemu. He smiled at himself and thought of how much he had looked up to Atemu, how much he loved the work he's done. And now he was going on a second date with him. Jounouchi was wrong. Yugi nodded sternly.

Reaching his last hanger he smiled seeing his favorite clubbing shirt, it was a white button-up shirt with black dragons on each side. He then pulled out a pair of dark jeans and slid them up to hang on his slender hips. He was missing something and then he saw it, a silver chain. He slid the chain into his pant loops.

Yugi hopped over to the door as the bell rang, slipping his shoes on as he did, and smiled at the man behind the door. "Ah, you are a life saver." Yugi smiled sweetly at the uniformed man in front of him. The man dangled a set of keys in front of him.

"I'll be back to pick it up when you call. Sign here, please." Yugi took the keys and a pen and signed for the rental car. "Thank you." The man tipped his hat and headed back to his partners car for a ride back. Yugi looked around the corner and caught a glimpse of a blue Ford Focus and shrugged before heading back into the house to grab his wallet.

--

Yami waited on the stoop of his apartment complex and glanced lazily at his watch and leaned coolly against a pillar, smirking as Yugi pulled up. Yugi smiled up at him and reached over the passenger's seat and pushed open the door. "Smooth" Yami teased lightly.

"Shut up."

"Is that anyway to talk to your date?" Yami got into the car and glanced around. "You sure you don't want to take my car?"

"Aw come on, this car isn't so bad. It can get into any parking space. Just relax." Yugi pulled away from the curb and drove off toward the new club.

Yugi pulled into a spot and exited the car with Yami. "You are so hot by the way." Yugi too Yami's hand and pulled him into the club. "I wanted to let you know something Yami."

"What's that?"

"If it weren't for you I would be nowhere. I would have never been able to write the way I do now. You are my muse."

"Muse? Isn't that pushing it a little?" Yami dropped Yugi's hand. "I haven't done anything to deserve that honor." Yami looked off into the crowd of people trying to get lost in their hypnotic movements.

"No. Yami you deserve it. I'm in-"

"Let's get some drinks!" Yami said and it was his turn to drag Yugi.

"Um… okay." Yugi was taken aback by the sudden interruption but regained his composure; he supposed his conversation was getting a little heavier than it should be. Yugi nearly tripped over his feet as Yami walked him anxiously to the bar. "You don't have to be in such a hurry." Yugi tuned to the bartender and ordered a Peach Passion.''

"A little girly don't you think?" Yami's mood lightened significantly.

"It's good. Why what do you drink?"

"I don't." Yami said. "I could never stand the taste of alcohol."

"An interesting bit of information." Yugi smiled sweetly at the bartender and pulled his overly flamboyant drink to his lips and took a summertime-gee-this-is-great-lemonade sip and closed his eyes. "Delicious. MM! I love this song. Want to dance with me?" Yugi set his drink down.

"Of course, I wouldn't have come here with you if I didn't want to dance." Yami nodded playfully as Yugi nodded toward the dance cage. "Naughty"

"I try." Yugi winked and crossed the room and hopped up the steps and entered the dance cage. Yugi grabbed onto two bars of the cage and spread his legs as though he were being frisked and slowly began to move his hips from side to side. He closed his eyes waiting for the song to get faster and when it did he moved his hips like and expert belly dancer. Yami watched from the floor and blinked a few times to make sure that what he was watching was real.

Yugi turned around and slid down the bars and back up again enticingly. By this time the whole room watched his little dance of seduction. Yami smirked back at them, surly they knew that Yugi was his for the night. He turned his attention back to his little writer and impulsively reached into the cage and pulled him out onto the dance floor and placed his hand on Yugi's right shoulder and slowly began to dance around him. "Liked that, did you?" Yami gave him a wink and continued to circle Yugi predatorily, wearing his trademark smirk. Yugi licked his suddenly dry lips and swallowed against the hot lump in his throat.

Yami slowly ran a hand down Yugi's soft shirt and unhooked the first button. Yami stopped circling after his second revolution and was behind Yugi, his hands sliding down o Yugi's hips. Yugi wasn't dancing but Yami knew how to fix that. He pivoted Yugi's hips with tight grip sweeping Yugi's hips to the right and left. Yugi slowly caught on and leaned back against his teacher. Yami slowly danced down Yugi's body and back up again, making sure he never lost contact. Yugi was dancing faster now as the music picked up the pace. Yami groaned inwardly at the erotic sight before him.

Just as Yami was growing fond of the view Yugi spun away from him and began to circle him, mimicking Yami's movements. By now the crowd of people clapped to the music, it was almost ritualistic.

Yugi slowly made his way back into Yami's arms and rubbed his ass against Yami's crotch and moaned as he snapped his hips forward casing his back to ache against Yami's chest. The dance was hot and fast. Who needed drugs with a man like Yami in the world? Yugi moaned and reached his arms back around Yami's neck taking a breath at feeling Yami's strong hands on his hips.

"Yugi…" Yami whispered dangerously and dipped his head down and kissed at Yugi's neck. Yami yanked Yugi's hips back against his growing need and held him there as he left a trail of kisses from Yugi's neck to his jaw and back down again. Yami let go of Yugi's hips only after he was satisfied that Yugi would keep the rhythm. He could hear Yugi's soft moans even over the loud music and it was hot. Yami hands slipped up to the front of Yugi's shirt and began to unbutton the second button.

Yugi leaned back against Yami's hard chest as the editor's other hand slid into his open shirt teasing his nipples. "Let's get out of here Yami…" Yugi murmured through tired lips. "Oh please." Yugi's eyes shot open when Yami gave one of his nipples a hard pinch.

"Say it first, and then we'll go." Yami smirked holding Yugi's body for ransom until those lustful words fell from the boy's mouth.

"Do I-I have to?" Yugi groaned losing what was left of his unclouded mind.

"Yes."

"Fuck me…"

"With pleasure." Yami smirked

--

The next morning Yami woke from his morning haze and yawned looking down at Yugi. He ran his hand through his bangs and let out a shuttering sigh. This was too much. He slipped out of the bed and began to dress. This wasn't real; Yugi was just another Saturday night fuck. A great fuck but that's all he was; just like the others. Yami pulled up his pants and let them hang lazily from his hips as he sauntered out the door taking one last glance at Yugi before leaving.

Yami walked into his apartment and entered his bathroom to wash the evidence of last night off of him. The words… what words were they? What did he say? Yami turned on the water waiting a bit as it heated up. Yami's eyes widened. He did...Last night… he said it. "Fuck." Yami muttered. Now we remembered. He let the words slip. In the heat of the moment as he gazed down at Yugi's trembling lips, his eyes were shut tight and tears hung on his eyelashes… he was so beautiful… that's when he said…I love you.

He leaned over the sink and grabbed the edges in a death grip he looked into the mirror as it slowly fogged up. "Haven't you learned your lesson?" he glared at his reflection. "Don't you blame me. Maybe you actually love him." Yami leaned in closer. "Fuck you. I don't love him. It just slipped out." He gritted his teeth as his reflection laughed at him and vanished behind the steam of the shower.

Yami stepped into the shower to wash away the dirty feeling. He didn't believe in love. He did love the feel of someone's arms around him and the warmth from the other side of the bed at night. But love, "love is too much." That's why he had to get out of there, he couldn't face Yugi's smile or the words I love you too.

He raked the shampoo through his hair roughly and rinsed quickly completely forgetting conditioner as he turned off the water and got dressed for work. The book was published and his relation-… his fling with Yugi would be over and he could go back to life as he knew it.

Walking into the Kaiba corp. building was the first step, he could only hope that Yugi wasn't there, not yet at least. He made it up to his office without incident and sat at his desk seeing a copy of the book on his desk with a note. "You win this time but don't think I won't be watching you." Yami crumpled the note and took the book up into his hands and smiled.

"Morning." Yami looked up at the door at Yugi and nodded. "You didn't have to leave so fast… oh but I guess you wanted to change. Oh is that the book?" Yugi walked in slowly and reached out for it. "We did it." Yami put the book down and cleared his throat before picking up another manuscript.

"I have work to do. I'm sure there is a copy of the book in your office."

"Oh sure." Yugi smiled. "See you at lunch then." He turned to leave the room and glanced back over his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't say this last night but I love you too." Yugi left the room brushing past Jou as he walked toward his office, smiling victoriously at him as he did.

"What did you do?" Jou looked in at Yami.

"Nothing he didn't want." Yami never glanced up from the page he was reading.

"You're a prick. Tristan told me about your little brush with death, you suicidal bastard."

Yami glanced up this time, "Fuck off!" Jou smirked and walked off happily.

He knew nothing about that, and for Tristan to tell him…Yami snarled and picked up his phone and dialed with angry fingers nearly poking holes in the phone as he pressed the buttons hard. "Ah, your answering machine. How about you keep my personal life out of your conver-"

"I'm, here" came Tristan's voice on the other end, "What are you pissed about?"

"You told that stupid blonde bastard about the past! Fuck you Tristan."

"I… he was telling me about Yugi's past… I… I'm sorry. We were just trying to figure out how to help the two of you."

"Help us what! Just stay out of shit you know nothing about!" Yami hung up and glanced at the door as it slammed shut. "What the?"

"Nice to meet you again, my pharaoh." A breathily laugh wafted from a dark shadow on the wall.


	14. My Suicidal Love

**Warnings: **Drug use.

**-My Suicidal Love-**

_Yami scratched his head as he watched the curser blink over and over again, "Why can't I figure this out?" He bit the inside of his lip and scrolled up a bit on his screen and read, perhaps a little recap would help. "Why is this so hard? I have a beginning and an end; it's the middle that kills me." Yami smiled lightly at the mug of hot coffee placed before him. "Thank you, love." Yami looked up at his boyfriend with bright eyes._

"_You need to relax; the words will come to you. They always do." Yami nodded, it was true, whenever his dark haired angel was around he found the words would pour out of him like hot syrup. "It's just like back in that creative writing class where we met."_

"_Yeah I know. You're right." Yami smiled and took a sip of his coffee, "ah, it's perfect." He closed his eyes at the soothing French vanilla flavor. "You remember the day we were partnered up to write that half and half story."_

"_The story where I wrote the first page and you had to write the second?" his boyfriend smiled at the memory. "We got first place, of course I remember, why do you bring it up?" _

"_Well that was the first time I was proud of something I turned in. because you were writing it with me."_

"_Oh please, you were good way before that, amazing actually. I don't even know why you took that class, you could have taught it." his boyfriend made his way behind Yami and placed his hands in his long sexy tri-colored hair. "It's how I was first attracted to you, the way you wrote made me feel, your characters had such passion and soul, it's like when you write you are god, you create their worlds and they live."_

_Yami sighed at the feel of fingers buried deep in his hair, "I-I guess that's true.mmm." Yami raised an eyebrow, "so what else attracted you to me?"_

"_Your overall sexiness." His boyfriend winked and looked at the screen, "So what's wrong now?"_

"_Writer's block." Yami sighed. "if I continue writing this the way it's going then I'm going to write myself into a corner but if I go back I have to start from the second chapter again." Yami looked at him helplessly, "there's a fucking pill for everything, why is it they can't they make one for writer's block?"_

_His boyfriend laughed softly, "There's an idea," he paused, "hey that's what they could call them."_

"_Shut up. Ow!" he glared at his boyfriend's sudden yank of his hair._

"_Don't tell me to shut up."_

"_Yes yes, I'm sorry." Yami saved his work so far and pulled his boyfriend onto his lap and tapped his nose. "Marry me when this story is finished."_

"_You want to marry me?" _

"_Yes."_

"_Alright." Yami smiled and kissed his boyfriend lightly and lovingly. "Ah! I've just been inspired. It will be finished by the end of the week."_

"_Wonderful." Yami's boyfriend hopped off of Yami's lap, "I'll leave you to it then."But Yami was already typing away._

_The days went by without another bout of writers block and at the end of the week Yami was finally finished. "Baby, come here, watch!" Yami called out to his boyfriend._

"_What is it?" he walked in and smiled and leaned over Yami's shoulder and watched as Yami hit print. "You finished it." _

"_I did! And I have an interview with the publisher tomorrow." Yami smiled and watched the printer push out the first few pages of his book. "I love you so much." Yami pulled his boyfriend down to him and kissed him passionately. He broke the kiss and looked into his boyfriend's emerald eyes. "Now we can get married."_

"_Well now, let's not rush into it. But we will get married. I love you too, by the way." Yami nodded and pulled his boyfriend up with him and lead him to the bedroom. _

"_Show me."_

"_Naughty boy." His boyfriend nodded and kicked the door closed behind them._

_As Yami slept that night Yami's boyfriend snuck out of the room, into the office and grabbed up the freshly printed manuscript. He looked at the computer and sat down. "It's about time." He whispered and looked through the files and deleted everything. "No proof." The green-eyed boyfriend walked out to his car and safely tucked the story away. "I will be a famous author, I will be remembered forever." He laughed and went back into the house and grabbed up a few matches and tossed them around the house randomly and went back to bed until the fire alarms screamed out._

"_What the fuck!" Yami shot out of bed and shook his boyfriend. "Fire, we have to get out!" Yami shook his head at the spicy smell around them. Yami shot out of bed, "The story!" Yami ran toward the bedroom door and jumped back at the glowing red handle. "Damn the fire's right outside the door!"_

"_Leave it, there's no time." Yami's boyfriend yanked at Yami's arm hard. "Quick, out the window. Please Yami, I love you, I don't want you to die."_

"_I can't!" _

"_No, we have to, you can write it again, I'll help you." His boyfriend finally managed to drag him out the window and into the yard just as the fire truck pulled up._

"_NO! Please, it's still in there!" Yami reached toward the house as his boyfriend held him back. "I can get it, I can!"_

"_Is there someone else in there?" a firefighter asked seeing the scene he'd witness thousands of times. _

"_No, his manuscript is in there." Yami's boyfriend asked._

"_Is that all? Well you are lucky to be alive, be thankful for that." He said and turned his attention to his men. "Put her out boys!" he called over the hiss of fired and scream of alarms._

_Yami looked on as his beautiful story, a story he'd been working on since high school, was lost to the world for all eternity. And suddenly he felt a pain in his chest. A part of his soul was burning, his child was dying and all he could do was watch._

**--**

_A few years later Yami casually walked down the streets of the city, glancing into bookstores and sighing. He never wrote again, he decided it wasn't meant to be and went into editing. Yami looked through at a couple and smiled softly, at least he still had Duke Devlin! The couple held up one of the new releases with his name written and huge green letters on the bottom. "When did…" well it was a good thing Yami was meeting Duke there in a few minutes._

"_Hey, baby." Duke came to a stop next to Yami. _

"_What's going on? You wrote a book? When did you find the time?"Yami walked into the store with him. "Is that what this surprise is about?"_

"_Slow down, Yami. Now, I did write a book, and it's why I called you down here. This is what you helped me do. You know all I've ever wanted was to be a famous writer; well you helped my dreams come true."_

"_Well then you are welcome." Yami picked up the book and opened it. "What's it about?"_

"_Now that's not important." Duke pulled the book from his hands. "I don't want you to read it, ever, see I'm scared of what you might think of my writing. So promise you won't read it."_

"_How can I do that? I love you, I would be proud of anything you did. Let me read it. Please."_

"_No. this is the one thing I'm asking you not to do." Yami sighed and nodded. "Thank you,"_

"_Well this is great, and it's on the New York Times bestseller list, that's quite an accomplishment." Yami kissed his boyfriend softly. "I love you."_

"_Yeah, I love you too." Duke took Yami's hand and led him out of the book store…_

**--**

Yami screamed jerking awake and gasped for air. Where was he? His mouth felt numb, hell everything did. He tried to turn his head but it was strapped down to a table, his wrists and ankles were tied down in a similar fashion leaving him immobile. "So what happened next?" Bakura smirked down at Yami.

"Nn. What's going on? Who are you?" Yami fought to keep his eyes focused.

"Why, I am Bakura. And I was enjoying your painful screams. This memory hurts you the most doesn't it? Tell me what happened after he told you not to read it."

"No, leave me alone! Let me go! What the fuck is going on!"

"No! I'll tell you what happened. It's obvious!" Bakura laughed and held a knife to Yami's cheek. "He stole the book! You read it."

"No! Stop it!" Yami tried to yank away from the knife.

"You saw that the characters, the people you gave life to two years ago were down on paper with different names. He stole the story, oh and he was planning it the whole time." Bakura cut a small gash into Yami's cheek and laughed again. "He knew how good you were and decided to make you love him, trust him. And you did."

"Shut up! Love doesn't exist!"

"You used to believe it did!" Bakura cut him again. "What happened then? You became a man whore. You would fuck anyone who was willing to pay for it, maybe you didn't take money, you took their hearts as payment! You hurt them, when they got too close that's when you cut them off." Bakura slash at Yami's other cheek, "Payback's a Bitch, isn't it Pharaoh?" Bakura licked the knife clean and used the handle to knock Yami back out. "Now to finish this memory."

**--**

"_How could you do this to me!?" Yami yelled at duke as he ran into their bedroom, book in hand. "What is this? The fire. They said it was arson, you did it, didn't you?"_

"_You promised me you wouldn't read it!"_

"_Fuck off. You stole it."_

"_Shut up. You can't prove it."Duke pulled up his suitcase,_

"_What's this? Where are you going?"_

"_I knew you wouldn't be able to keep your hands off that book. I'm moving. The chick I dedicated the book to is letting me stay with her. See you." That was the last time Yami saw Duke in person or on the shelves._

_Yami brought a hand up to his chest and took a deep breath, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. He fell to his knees, maybe a bit dramatic but the pain, the loneliness was palpable. Yami's head shot up, duke left his stash here. That's it, that's what he needed. Yami crawled to the bed and dug around under the mattress and pulled out a small bag of cocaine. "Nice of him to leave me a little treat." Yami laughed as he proceeded to gather up all he needed to take some. He'd seen Duke do it hundreds of times._

_Yami sat at the coffee table and looked down at the line of white powder and leaned down snorting it up his nose. He leaned back as his eyes watered lightly; it burned and felt cool at the same time. He wiped his nose and closed his crying eyes._

_Weeks later Yami had finished off the stash and glared at the empty bag. "Sure leave me too!"Yami sighed and shut his bloodshot eyes. "Fuck this."_

"_Yami," came a knock at the door._

"_Go away." Yami muttered._

"_I'm coming in." Tristan pushed the door open and held his breath at the smell and the sight of Yami's apartment. Trash was piled in every corner of the place, it smelled of smoke, alcohol and basic unwashedness. "Jesus, Yami. What is happening to you? And how long have you been wearing that?" _

"_Leave me alone, man." Yami sniffed a few times. "Why are you here?"_

"_Let's see, you've been blowing us off for weeks now. I came to check on you." Tristan walked in deeper. "It's a landfill in here. What happened to you?" _

_Yami shrugged and sniffed again before passing out, a small line of blood ran down his left nostril. "Shit, Yami." Tristan scooped his friend up and put him in the car. "I'll save you, Yami."Tristan drove him to the hospital._

**--**

Yami screamed again, "Tristan!" His eyes opened wide. He could feel his blood pool around his body, everything was cold. Bakura had left thousands of cuts on his body. "Stop it please! I've done nothing…. I don't wanna remember."

"Too bad, Pharaoh. You will relive this over and over again until Zork is reborn and you are fed to the darkness. "Now, I see this Tristan is very important to you. Perhaps I should send him a gift." Bakura took up the book and began to chant. "Devour his heart, devour his soul, I call forth my minions of darkness, be reborn as I have been reborn."


	15. Ups and Downs

**Ups and Downs**

No Sound had come from Yami's office in the past hour and Yugi was beginning to wonder if he were alright. It wasn't like Yami to be silent for that long and it was Yugi's job as new boyfriend to find out what was wrong and to fix it. Yugi stood up and crossed the hall and gave Yami's door three swift knocks. No answer. Yugi shifted his weight onto his other leg and grabbed the knob. "Yami are you alright?" still no answer. Yugi opened the door and was met with a bone-chilling cold. He doubled over and his vision was blurry, and for that moment Yugi had the urge to kill himself. He backed away from the door; never having felt such darkness, such indescribable hate.

As soon as Yugi regained what was left of his composure he took a step back toward the door, Yami wasn't there. Nothing was. Had he imagined everything? Maybe he needed a break. He sighed and turned back to go into his office.

"Yugi, I need to see you in my office." Startled, Yugi didn't have to look to know the voice belonged to Seto. Yugi followed the CEO and sat down in the chair known as the "hot seat" to all working under Mr. Kaiba. Yugi shifted uncomfortably. "Now, you know with the economy the way it is some companies have been letting go of a few of their employees." Yugi nodded slowly. "And I did make a deal with Yami but the truth is I have to let someone go. I do not recall you ever being a part of this deal, since you are my greatest writer, I-"

"Wait, what do you mean I wasn't a part of this deal?" Yugi resisted the urge to stand, fearing his legs would not hold him in the presents of the power Seto was exerting. "I assumed, because you said that both of our jobs were on the line that if we succeeded "our" jobs would be safe."

"Well, Yugi you know they say about people who assume. I really don't have the time to argue this over with you, I want your things packed by the end of the day, I'm sure that Industrial Illusions has a position for you."

"What? No, I only let Yami think that because he was getting on my nerves."

"Regardless, you should be able to land on your feet. And I will send your check to you in the next few days." Seto waved him off. "You may go."

Yugi was livid, he stood up slowly and walked out the door in a daze, how could this have happened? How could he lose everything he had in a matter of days? Yugi brushed past Jou on his way back to his office and pushed the door open hard knowing he had to make some sort of dent in the wall behind it.

Jou turned toward Yugi and jerked his head back to Seto, "Seto, what did you do?"

"Get in here and close the door" Jou walked in slowly and let the door slide closed as he walked over to his boyfriend. "Have a seat."

"Dammit, you fired him didn't you!" Jou glared. "You swore to me that you wouldn't have him fired."

"It had to be done, I'm sorry. And I thought it would be easier to explain now that you two were no longer friends."

"That's not the point. The point is that you broke a promise to me." Jou leaned over the desk staring his lover down.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't make up for it. Give him his job back."

"I can't do that. This is set in stone. He's got enough money coming to him to last until he finds another job. He'll be alright, trust me."

"Excuse me?" Jou laughed ironically, "Trust you? Is that what you said?"

"Jou, puppy…"

"DON'T- don't call me that anymore. Find yourself a new boyfriend, and a new copy editor. I quit." Seto grabbed his wrist. "Let go." Jou looked away from Seto's profound blue eyes.

"You can't leave me. You and I are in love and there isn't anything that can keep us apart. You can break it off now, but you will be back." Jou swallowed hard and pulled his wrist free from Seto's soft grip. "What was that thing you said when you first admitted you loved me?"

"Don't…"

"We need each other, every cold side needs the warmth, and you were the warmth." Seto stood up coolly. "Something like that, right?"

"Yeah, well…Who remembers what anyone said, right?" Jou turned on his heels and walked out of the office as strong as he could.

"Oh my god. Where could I have put it?" Jou paused on his way to the elevator and popped his head into Yugi's office. He was frantically digging through his box of papers. "It was here, Dammit!" Yugi brought his fingers up to his hair and yanked a bit and swallowed against the growing lump in his throat. "What am I gonna do?" Yugi planned his hands on his desk and gasped for air, this was the last straw.

Jou shook his head and grabbed up a brown paper bag. "Shh, Yugi, it's gonna be alright. Breath." He opened the bag and handed it to his ex-friend. "Breath." Jou rubbed Yugi's back slowly.

"Wh-wh…I can't find…" Yugi's voice was muffled by the sound of the bag.

"What are you looking for? Relax, we'll find it." Jou glanced around the near empty room; Yugi didn't have too many things in his office. All his ex-friend needed was a pad and a pen to be happy. "Yugi, what are you looking for?" Jou questioned again once Yugi's breathing became normal.

Yugi removed the bag, "The book I wrote the manuscript in."

"That really old one?"

"Yes."

"I haven't seen it for a while, hey, maybe," Jou made a sour face, "Yami has it."

"Yami." Yugi smiled. "Yes, maybe."

"Yugi, Yami is…"

"Is what?" Yugi looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Not that bad a guy…" he lied but Yugi didn't need any more bad news. "You want to go have lunch or something, my treat?"

"Really?"

"Yes. I have nothing else to do today." Jou emphasized the word nothing. "We have some catching up to do."

**---**

Meanwhile, deep in the woods, with the help of the shadows cast by the trees, dark figures came to life. Shapeless, soulless and dark creatures with only one purpose: to create a world of darkness. "That's right, my Shadelings. Start with this forest and those two Humans up there; feel free to feast on their souls." Bakura laughed menacingly and pointed toward the cabin on a silent hill.

The Shadelings slithered on the snow a smoothly as the wind danced between snowflakes. A group of five quickly surrounded the cabin and one by one they enter under the door.

Serenity quietly hummed a soft tune as she stirred a pot hot cocoa. "Tristan, can you come here a moment?" she sipped at the cocoa and smiled. Something tugged at her pant leg. She looked down. Nothing. She shook it off and turned off the oven.

A shadeling melted up behind her, its black mass hovering over her like a wave. It smirked and out grew arms. Her soul was ripe with light, a pure heart.

"What the fuck! Serenity, watch out!" Tristan grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the way just as the shadeling jumped for her. It slipped through the wall. "What was that?"

"Tristan!" Serenity pointed to the ground, the floor was covered in an inky black, moving like billions of black ants.

"We have to get out of here." Tristan scooped up his wife and sprinted for the door and looked out over the snow, it too was as black as pitch.

"I am afraid you have nowhere to go." Bakura slipped up from the darkness and laughed. "You may want to pray to whatever god you believe in, although, it won't really make a difference, your soul will become nothing once devoured by my shadelings."

"Who are you!? And what the hell is going on?"

"I don't think that is any of your concern, but I can tell you that your only folly was being friends with that Pharaoh." He spit out his words. "You had to help him and now you will pay."

"Pharaoh? What are you talking about?"

"Tristan, I'm scared." He held her tightly

"Aww. True love. I can see it around the two of you." Bakura smiled darkly. "Foolish mortals."

"Serenity." Tristan whispered. "I have the keys to the van here. I want you to take it. Just drive." He thrust the keys into her hands. "I love you." He whispered and shoved her toward the van.

"What's this?' Bakura smirked as Serenity got into the van.

"I don't know who you are or what you want but I'll fight you as long as I can." Tristan glared at Bakura and grabbed up his hunting gun and aimed for him. "I'll kill you."

"Will you?" Bakura smirked. "Try, but your mortal weapons will have no effect on me." Bakura laughed. Tristan shot. Time moved slowly in that moment. Serenity backed out of the driveway as she shadelings swarmed after her. The bullet of the gun slowly cut through the air and a smooth dance of danger. It slipped through Bakura and kept flying.

Bakura was unharmed and he snapped his fingers and changed the bullet's coarse. Tristan's trained eye followed it toward his truck. "Serenity!" he reached out to her as if his hand could protect her from what was to come. The bullet sunk down and blew out one of the tires. Serenity lost control on the icy road and slammed into a tree. She had no time to react as the shadelings surrounded the van. Nothing but darkness could be seen, and then a final scream was heard.

"Serenity!" Tristan sunk to the ground and glared up at Bakura.

"How ironic, don't you think?" Bakura walked up to Tristan and pulled him up by his hair. "This pain you felt from watching her die may be useful to me. The Pharaoh my feel pain from watching you die as well. I won't kill you now." Bakura snapped his fingers and his shadelings vanished, leaving only an empty shell of a van in their wake. Bakura then sank into the ground, melting away like the snow at spring, bringing brokenhearted Tristan with him.

**---**

Yugi and Jou sat at their usual table in Ihop as if life went on for them. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him, Yugi."

"You love him."

"You're belief in love, I feel bad that you have that gift."

"Why?"

"Because when you find out that love isn't real, it's going to hurt you that much more. I love you man."

"I know, I love you too. But I have faith in love, and if you don't have faith in it that's okay, because I have enough for both of us." Yugi smiled.

"Yugi!" Yugi looked back to see Bobasa and another woman dressed in an Egyptian outfit walk in. "The book, where is it?"

"The book? How do they know about it?" Jou looked at Yugi.

"He was the one who gave it to me."

"Enough of this!" the woman spoke up. "Where is the book?"

"Isis, it's alright, we'll get it." Bobasa soothed. "Now, Yugi, we need it."

"I don't… I think that Yami has it."

"WHAT!?" the woman known as Isis glared down at him. "You were entrusted with the book and you let someone else take it!"

"What's the big deal!?"

"You may have brought about the end of the world?!" she said.


	16. Did Life Give Us Lemons?

**Did Life Give Us Lemons?**

"Yugi!" Yugi looked back to see Bobasa and another woman dressed in an Egyptian outfit walk in. "The book, where is it?"

"The book? How do they know about it?" Jou looked at Yugi.

"He was the one who gave it to me."

"Enough of this!" the woman spoke up. "Where is the book?"

"Isis, it's alright, we'll get it." Bobasa soothed. "Now, Yugi, we need it."

"I don't… I think that Yami has it."

"WHAT!?" the woman known as Isis glared down at him. "You were entrusted with the book and you let someone else take it!"

"What's the big deal!?"

"You may have brought about the end of the world?!" she said

"Perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere." Bobasa and Isis glanced back at the door. A third Egyptian entered, his body fully cloaked in an off white fabric, a turban sat proudly atop his head. Yugi and Jou then noticed that there were a lot of people at Ihop that day. They must think them crazy. "And Isis, you need to relax a bit." Isis opened her mouth the protest but stopped at the eyes of Ihop patrons.

"Oh I was…" she paused looking a little pale, she may have just told the world about what was happening, something she and the others were trying to avoid. What people didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Perhaps the situation could be rectified before anyone could panic.

Yugi stood up and smiled, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "We are just practicing for a play. She's pretty good at being irrational, don't you think?" Yugi's smile widened dumbly. The Ihop patrons paused for a moment but ignored the situation and went back to their mundane lives "look, let's just go back to my place and talk about this." Yugi offered

"What's going on here?" Jou blinked up at the strange new people surrounding them.

"Just come with us, I'll explain it when we get there."

"No, we cannot come with us," Isis glared.

"He's my best friend."

"Yugi is right, whatever he goes through, I go through, he is my brother and I love him." Jou was on his feet defensively. Isis did not yield, he body language told Jou that much.

"This is far too dangerous for someone who isn't chosen." Isis shoved Jou back into his seat. "Stay here." Before Jou could react a fourth person entered the restaurant.

"Give it a rest Icy"

"Tea?" Yugi blinked a few times, now things becoming a little too strange for his taste. "What are you doing here?"

"My mission of course. You didn't think I would be left out of this did you?" Tea winked causing Yugi to blush the way he always did when she winked at him. She turned to Isis, "Look, I've known Jou and Yugi for a while now. No matter what has happened to either one of them the other has been there. If anything, Jou will help Yugi with his cause."

"This is all too weird, seriously, where do you come in, in all of this?"

"The whole time, Shadi, Here," she pointed to the robbed Egyptian, "Told me to keep an eye on you, so from the time we met I knew you were destined for this."

"So if you knew this would happen, why didn't you warn me?"

"It's not as if I knew exactly what would happen. It's the prophecy," she paused. "Let's get out of here first and then we can talk." She smiled, "we'll meet you and Jou back at your place, Yugi." She turned on her heels and left with the others. Yugi glanced at Jou and stood up, following after the Egyptians and Tea.

**---**

"So when he gave you the book and the warning you ignored it!" Isis stood above Yugi, looming over like the scary math teacher who was sure you were cheating when you weren't. "Some choice the prophecy has made, this boy couldn't even keep the book safe."

Yugi looked down at his hands, perhaps Isis was right, who was he to be chosen? There wasn't anything particularly special about him. "Don't you understand what you did, Yugi?" she paused. "Did you write in the book?" Yugi nodded, "what?"

"Well, Yami and I crashed in the woods on our way back home and the manuscript was ruined, I had to rewrite it, all I had was the book of creation so I used that." He cringed and looked up at her, "I'm sorry." His voice was so small it nearly brought a lump to Jou's throat. "And then strange things started happening, familiar things, things I wrote."

"Yeah, I saw Yami's window." Jou added. "So you are saying that Yugi's book has come to life?"

"Well, Yugi, what happened to the book then?" Shadi asked carefully.

"It's just gone. I left it in my office the day I rewrote my story again in manuscript form, that's the last time I remember seeing it."

"You've sentenced us all to death, Yugi." Isis sneered. "You've singlehandedly brought about the end of the world."

"Now, You just hold on a moment, Isis, Yugi is wonderful, he is the most caring person I know, I think he is the only one pure heart left in this world. He didn't do this on purpose, and he will fix it." Tea said. "I believe the prophecy has made the right choice."

"He was told to be careful with the book. When someone tells you that you should listen, not--"

"Dear, Isis, please calm yourself. We'll just have to get it back." Shadi moved to sit on the coffee table across from Yugi and looked at him. "What can you remember about the book? Did it show you anything?"

"Well there was a drawing, symbols and a monster."

"Zork." Shadi nodded, "Yes. I believe it has already begun. I was worried…."

"What are you talking about? You guys are so damn confusing." Jou glared. "The world doesn't seem to be in danger, looks the same to me."

"No, Shadelings have already been reported." Bobasa pointed out.

"What is a shadeling?"

"Horrible creatures, they don't have a particular shape, they look like oily shadows and they eat souls. When your soul is eaten by one of them it, you become nothing, no heaven, no hell, only darkness." Bobasa's normally jovialness composure faded and Yugi shivered in fear.

"Yes, we must put an end to this now before they become more powerful, and before Zork can be reborn."

"How do we do that?" Jou asked

"First, we must get the book back." Isis said.

"What is it with you and that book?"

"I owned it before Yugi did." She glared. "And even though it is his charge now, I still have a responsibility to protect it, when certain people cannot!" she turned on her heels and walked out of the house.

**---**

Yami cracked his eyes open slowly, his memories finally came to an end. This ongoing torture was getting to him. But if this Bakura person enjoyed his torment so much why did he let up? "Pleasant dreams?" Bakura said as Yami lulled his head to the side in order to get a better look at his captor. "I have a gift for you." Bakura yanked Tristan into the room by a chain wrapped around his neck. Yami's head jerked back and the room began to spin, pain washed over him but he ignored it.

"Bakura." Yami's voice cracked as he warned dangerously.

"I thought you would be happy to have a friend." He paused "This world is so strange. If I'm not mistaken, you had a friend just like this man back in Egypt. So Pharaoh, this will be a treat for me, you will get to see him die in front of you again." Bakura kicked Tristan behind the knees forcing him to the ground before Yami's feet. "Beg the Pharaoh for your life, Slave."

Tristan looked up at Yami with pain in his eyes, "Without Serenity…There is no reason for me to beg for life." Yami's eyes widened. "She was lost to us." Yami looked back at Bakura and glared darkly, dangerously.

"My shadelings got her. It's an interesting story, heartwarming. My shadelings love souls and have been looking for one as pure as hers for a long time so you can see this story really has a happy ending." Bakura drew a dagger and grabbed Tristan's hair pulling his head back. "What do you say, pharaoh, one swift motion ought to do it." Bakura's grin widened in time with Yami's growing glare. Bakura placed the dagger at Tristan's throat and pressed it into his neck but not enough to draw blood; he wanted to drag out Yami's agony.

"I'm warning you." Yami started.

"How droll, do you not see that there isn't anything you can do to save this man?" Bakura drew back the dagger. "Although, I would like to see what you plan to do about this. How would you stop me, all tied up like that, Pharaoh?"

"Stop calling me Pharaoh, you psychopath. Let him go, I don't understand what you want from me but I am the one you want not him."

"That's just it. What I want from you is to suffer. Killing your friends off the first time did a pretty good job of that. Seems you only have one friend in this world. How sad." Bakura paused as if struck by some awesome idea. "Perhaps I should prolong his death, make him scream and beg for death." Yami pulled against the binds that held him tight. "You know struggling doesn't work."

"Fuck you!" Bakura dropped Tristan on the ground and moved to slap Yami across the face. "What you don't like to be disrespected?" Yami spit out the blood that filled his mouth and smirked. "Killing Tristan would only make me want to kill you more; I wouldn't rest until you were cold in the grave."

"You can't kill something that's already dead. And it seems Tristan's death wouldn't be enough for you, perhaps there are other people in your life you would hate to lose."

"Even if there were I wouldn't tell you about them."

"That's alright; I don't need to hear it from your mouth." Bakura held out his hand to Yami's forehead sending it back against the hard table. Yami closed his eyes in pain and screamed as Bakura entered his mind. It was dark safe for one light, a secret. Bakura dove deeper, this was a familiar light, and he was defeated by this light the first time. Bakura pulled back. "You want to keep that little secret don't you?"

"What are you talking about, I have no secrets." Yami tried to see through the haze.

"I see, so you're subconscious mind only holds this secret. Well that's fine with me. I will be using this to my advantage, you stay here, Pharaoh." Bakura smiled and tied Tristan to a round anchor on the wall and exited the room.

"Jenkins, it's time to collect the artifacts. I have found the heart I must taint. This time I will not fail. That stupid Pharaoh will finally know who the rightful king is."

"Yes master." Jenkins bowed and held the book for creation close to his chest. "Shall I call forth more Shadelings; the world is not yet in fear."

"Oh really? No. let me deal with the Shadelings. You find me the artifacts." Bakura melted away into darkness.

**---**

Yami looked over at Tristan, "Tristan…. Can you hear me?" Tristan lulled his head over his shoulder and glanced back at Yami. "You can get free. Please." Yami looked down at the dagger beneath his feet. Thankfully the table he was laying on was in the upright position. "You can cut yourself free." He kicked the knife over. "You need to get out of here." Tristan looked at the knife and suddenly Yami realized he may have given Tristan the means to kill himself. "Tristan. Serenity would not want you to stop fighting like that." Tristan winced at the sound of her name. "Please. If we can get out of here and stop this mad man, then we can avenge her death. Please."

Tristan pulled up the dagger and looked at it carefully then glanced at Yami. He deliberated over it for a moment. Yami held his breath as he watched his friend debate over life and death. How could Yami watch as his friend died when Tristan had saved his life all those years ago? Yami begged in his mind for Tristan to make the right choice. Then Tristan made a move. He brought the dagger up to his neck. No. Yami looked away and winced hearing a tear.

"Let's get out of here." Tristan said with a new found strength. Yami opened his eyes and smiled. "You didn't think I would off myself and let that bastard get away with taking me Serenity from me, did you?" Tristan crossed the room and looked Yami over. "What did he use to tie you here?"

"I don't know, they are like some invisible ropes. You won't be able to get me out of here. You need to find Yugi."

"Why Yugi?"

"I don't know, something tells me that you need to find him. Tell him not to come find me, tell him to stay away."

"What about you?" Tristan glanced around frantically, Bakura could return at any moment. "I won't let you die."

"You want to know how to keep me alive?" Tristan nodded. "Keep Yugi away from me. Away from here."

"But…"

"Tristan, I will be fine. Just go. Hurry." Tristan nodded and placed the dagger in Yami's hands. Yami then hid it behind his back. "If he gets close enough I will try." Tristan nodded and left the room. "Good luck my friend." Yami gripped the dagger tightly and shut his eyes against the migraine he felt coming on. "Bakura…. Bastard…" Yami slipped out of his mind.

"Is this what you will let it come to?" Yami found himself in a new place, it was clear and hot, and he looked up at the figure before him.

"Who… are you…"


	17. In the Name of Love and Friendship

**In the Name of Love and Friendship**

"Who are you?" Yami squinted through the haze between reality and fiction. The shadow of a man before him stood tall and proud, this must be his imagination helping him to escape the pain of Bakura's torture. Yami shook his head; he wasn't in the mood for imaginary friends at the moment. He hadn't conjured one up since he was a young boy. Perhaps his mind was reverting back to what used to help him in the past.

"Believe what you see," the voice said as if reading Yami's mind, I am real." The regal voice boomed with power and hope. "I am you." The shadow stepped forward and Yami recognized him instantly, Yami was looking at himself dressed in what he assumed were ancient Egyptian garb. "The story the young one wrote was not by accident. Deep down in his soul he remembered the story of how we saved Egypt. He was destined to rewrite the story just as the world was meant to relive the moment. History repeats itself, I'm sure you know that."

Yami looked back at the king before him still stuck on one point: Who was the young one? Yugi? This was all too strange to take in. "Why." Yami looked up at the pharaoh. "Why is it too strange? You used to believe that anything could happen." The pharaoh stopped. "Yugi is the young one; surely you've felt some connection to him." The king did not have time to stand around convincing his modern self. "We have more pressing matters to discuss. If you can see me then you are ready."

"This is all in my head, that Psycho is trying to kill me and this is just a temporary brain malfunction."

"You will see, whether you believe me or not is up to you. But if you want a chance to save this dying world then you must heed my words. You must awaken your powers; you need to find the treasure that will join us as one. Together our power will save this world."

Yami ignored him still mumbling about being a man, tortured by a crazy person, and the pharaoh being a hallucination.

"Find the millennium puzzle," the pharaoh continued. "It is the only way to defeat the darkness." The pharaoh slowly began to dissipate. "I have run out of time, release me and you will be saved," These where the pharaoh's last words and Yami was left alone.

Where was he to find this item of which the pharaoh spoke? And how was he to escape when Bakura had him bound to a slab by an unbreakable force of magic? Yami opened his eyes struggled against the binds once more. It was no use.

**---**

"One of the humans has escaped." A slithery shadeling whispered in Bakura's ear. "Shall I go after him?"

"Bakura smacked the shadow away from him and glared, "I can see that. Let the man go. Apparently Shadi and Isis have a new group of followers. And this man will lead us to them. I will kill them before they have a chance to stop me." Bakura smirked and looked out over the city of domino. "Now, my Shadelings rise up and collect souls for the dark lord." Bakura raised his arms and with them a black cloud arose in the sky. Bakura dropped his hands violently and the cloud followed crashing darkness over the city.

Tristan ran through the hollow streets of his hometown, his head was sore, his legs felt like they were on fire almost to the point they felt cold. One he escaped the torture chamber he started running and never looked back. He would find a way to save his friend. Finally Tristan slowed to a quick walk and glance back over his shoulder to see who followed him. No one. Tristan panted and leaned back against a brick wall of an alley. His escape was far too easy. He looked up at the huge glass building from where he had just escaped and wondered how long that place had been there. It looked like a modern-day fortress. Could someone have known this would happen? Tristan shook it off. His main concern was finding help for Yami as if he would leave Yami there to die.

The wind gushed through the alley, warm and sticky and prickling with static electricity. Tristan flinched visibly and looked around; he had felt this sensation before. His skin prickled as if clouds of sand were being pelted at him. The world was suddenly dark, almost as if it might rain. Tristan looked up at the ominous cloud and watched as a black ball drifted from the sky down to the street where it melted into the ground leaving a dark puddle of inky liquid, then watched as it ate through the asphalt leaving a rip in the fabric of time. Tristan took a step forward and glanced down into the hole. He could see nothing, like a black hole that ate light, it held nothing.

Tristan backed up upon seeing a small blob of ink that looked like a hand, and suddenly a shadeling pulled itself out of the whole and snarled. Of course, this feeling came from those creatures. Tristan turned as more black balls fell from the sky like snow. The ripped open a whole wherever they landed. Tristan was running out of time. He started running again, letting his legs take him where they would. He had no clue where to go or where to find Yugi. The air was suffocating and his lungs burned but he would not give up, he would find vengeance for his wife. He would make them pay before he died.

Tristan ran through the streets and tried to block out the screams of innocent people falling victim to the darkness. He stopped then when he saw a young boy up against a wall covering his eyes from the impending danger he was in. Tristan ran faster and slid past the Shadeling grabbing the boy by his collar. "Thank you, what's going on?"

"Something that's not easy to explain. Where do you live?" Tristan fought to make his words clear through his dry throat.

"Just take me to the KC Building, My name is Mokuba." The boy said and Tristan smiled, of course. Tristan ran straight up a ladder and smiled.

"Hold on tight!" Tristan began hopping from building top to building top, he experience with bullies had made him and expert of the city and he knew the fastest way to the Kaiba corp. building. The cloud didn't seem to stretch as far as the better parts of the city; perhaps the dark man behind this wasn't strong enough to cover the world yet. They still had time. Tristan jumped into the sun and held Mokuba close as he vanished through the streets. He skidded to a halt before the doors of the Kaiba corp. building and let Mokuba down. "Here we are." Tristan panted and leaned against the glass door. "Maybe your brother can help."

"What is going on? What was that thing?" Mokuba pushed open the door and tugged Tristan in with him. "Tell me when we get to my brother's office." Mokuba paused, "This is just like my brother's dreams. He blacks out in the middle of the day and has them. He told me about those dark monsters." Mokuba ran to an elevator and used his key card to open the door. "Come on."

Tristan and Mokuba got off the elevator and stopped before the CEO if Kaiba corp. himself, Seto Kaiba. "Mokuba! Where have you been and who is this… Ah, you are a friend of Yami's I remember you. What are you doing here?"

"Seto," Mokuba spoke, "You're dreams are coming true. He saved me from one of those things. Those dark monsters."

"Nonsense. Those are just nightmares."

"Why would I lie?" Mokuba pointed out the window behind his big brother. "See that cloud. The monster came out of there. He almost got me. There are a lot of them and they are attacking people." Seto glanced out at the cloud and shrugged. It was nothing more than a rain cloud in his eyes.

"Well then would they lie to you," Tristan turned up the volume on Seto's plasma screen, the news flashed on, interrupting the business channel. "Strange things have been happening in downtown domino, people had been falling into coma's, Black clouds of dust seem to be the cause, he ask that everyone stay indoors until we can figure these clouds out."

"Nothing about monsters." Seto said.

"Maybe no one else can see them but they are getting hurt, and Mokuba and I have both seen them. Please you have to believe us."

"And if I did, how would I be of any use to you."

"I don't know. Something tells me that you can help."

"I don't believe in blind faith,"

"Come on, big brother. If that cloud gets bigger we will all be in danger. Jou might be out there!" Seto froze in place and glanced back out over the city. Jou's little apartment wasn't too far from the edge of the cloud.

"I don't believe in those dark monsters but that dust is dangerous. Let's go."

"Thank you." Tristan chided

"I'm not doing this for you, I am just going to find Jou and bring him back here." Seto pulled on his jacket and got back onto the elevator with his brother and Tristan. Mokuba could see that his brother was bothered by something. Maybe something in his dream was real. Seto never said a word nor did he show any emotion. They all got off the elevator and got into Seto's limo. "Roland, to Wheeler's house."

Tristan took a breath, "I think there is something you should tell Jou. It might be better coming from you." Seto looked over at him un-amused. "Serenity… she was taken by those monsters." Seto paused. "I thought that since you two are so in love that…"

"Were. He doesn't love me anymore." Tristan gave Seto a glance to let him know he was sorry.

"Still, I think that if you told him it would be more comforting… and I… I can't face him. I swore I would keep her safe and I failed." Seto looked away.

"Perhaps it isn't easy to keep the wheelers safe." The limo pulled up at the rundown apartments just on the edge of the nice part of the city. Roland exited the car and knocked on the door and came back five minutes later. "He is not home." Seto began to panic but hid it well under his tough exterior. "Shall we try the Game shop?"

"Good thinking, Roland, Let's go." Seto ordered and they were off once again.

**---**

Yugi looked up through the sliding glass doors in his window. "That cloud…"

"Yes, it's beginning." Isis glared. "It's small now but the more souls it collects the stronger it becomes. We have no time to waist now. We must find those items and put an end to this." Isis closed her eyes and smiled, "and here is the missing part of our puzzle, right on time." Yugi looked at her.

"What are you talking about?" Yugi looked down at the street and looked back at Jou.

"What?" Jou crossed the room and looked down at a familiar limo. "Oh, no. I don't think so. Don't let him in here." Jou crossed his arms and turned away as Seto got out of the car.

"Tristan is here too. And Mokuba…" Yugi looked at Isis, "how did you know Seto was supposed to come here?"

"It's something that always happens. When you get your memories of history back you will see." She smiled. "Now we can finally split up and get all that we need."

"Do you think we should split up?" Tea asked as Shadi left to open the door for the new comers. "We don't even know where to look."

"Well our first concern is--"

"The book!" the group said in unison and Isis glared away from them

"We know." Jou said, "But what does this have to do with Seto. Why is he here?"

"He is one of the heroes of prophecy." Shadi said entering the room with Seto and the others behind him. Seto looked at Jou but Jou looked away in anger.

"Prophecy? What the hell are you talking about? I'm here for Jou, come on puppy, let's go." Seto grabbed Jou's wrist but Jou yanked it back. "Don't tell me you believe in this stuff."

"I do."

"Seto. You've been having visions of your past and of the future. You foresaw this dark cloud. You have to help save the world from darkness." Isis pushed Seto into a seat and placed her hand against his forehead.

"Get off me." Seto glared and struggled against invisible binds. "You will see the truth and you will help." Jou looked at Isis with worry in his eyes. "Don't worry Jou, he will be fine. I am giving him his memories back." Isis closed her eyes and moved both of her hands to cover Seto's temples causing him to close his eyes and fall limp in his seat. Mokuba inched forward feeling a bit uneasy but watched silently. Isis' warmth filled Seto up with memories of his past.

After what seemed like hours, Isis pulled away and opened her eyes in sync with Seto's. "How… can this be?"

"You still don't believe?"

"No, I can't it's not true. I control my own destiny." Seto stood up and straightened up as Jou took a step to stop in front of him.

"You have always been this way. Why can't you just once believe in something?"

"Because the one thing I did believe in is gone." Seto pushed Jou aside leaving the blonde with a dumbfounded expression. "Find someone else."

"Kaiba…" Isis started.

"I don't want to hear it." I won't be a party to this madness. Unlike some people in this room, I have work to do." He said and walked out with Mokuba right on his heels.

Jou looked around the room at his friends and walked out of the room after his former lover. "Seto…I believed in our love too, but." Mokuba slipped away to give them privacy. "I just got so upset with you; you didn't keep your word. You never do."

"It was something that was out of my hands."

"I don't want to argue about that. Right now our world is in danger, even though you don't believe in the past, what matters is happening now; you can hear the screams and see that dark cloud. Clouds do not get that black. Just help us." Seto paused a moment, "People are already losing their souls." Seto looked into Jou's honey eyes and nodded.

"I have something to tell you. It's about Serenity." Jou paused, he had been wondering where she was since Tristan was here. "Tristan said those monsters got to her." Jou blinked a few times. "Jou?"

Jou became still, his world was melting around him, swirling into nothingness. His heart stopped beating for a moment and he balled his hands into fists. Tristan was supposed to take care of her. And he didn't even own up, he sent Seto in to do is dirty work. Jou ignored the tears rolling down his face and turned on his heel. Seto grabbed his wrist. "Let me go!" Seto shook his head and pulled Jou to his chest and wrapped his arms around him carefully. "Stop… let me… god, how…. No. No I don't believe it. This is some sort of joke." Jou buried his face in Seto's shirt and held onto him tightly.

In the next room Tristan finished telling the story to the others and sat in a chair and glared down at his hands. "She was all I had." Yugi glared out the window at the cloud and then back at Isis. Let's get started, we don't have a lot of time. Where can we find these items?

"Isis, they are scattered about the globe. The Pharaoh thought it would be best that way. This is why we all needed to split up. There is one in America, two here, one in Europe, one in Egypt, One in the north and one in the south."

"How do you expect us to, first of all, find them then bring them back here in time. I think when this cloud gets bigger, flights will be hard to find." Tristan asked calmly. "This is impossible."

"It is not." Tea said, "we know people around the globe, we will have them find the items and call us when they have them, then we will each go and collect them. I will get in touch with them and we can focus on the book and the two items that are here." Tea looked at Shadi and Isis. "You two hold down the fort, Yugi, Tristan, Jou and I will find what we need."


	18. Two Birds and No Stone

**--Two Birds but No Stone.--**

Jou entered the room with vicious intention; his strides were long and purposeful and left Tristan with no time to see what was coming to him. Hard knuckles connected with his cheek sending his head spinning, his body turned with the force but his legs remained planted on the ground. Tristan knew Jou had every right to punch him. Tristan's head floated down and he stared at his shoes. The room was still like a portrait in an abandon house; the moment forever frozen in time.

"Jounouchi…" Yugi finally spoke after several moments Yugi approached his friend with caution, Jou's fists were clenched tighter than Yugi had ever seen them. Jou panted through his teeth in an attempt to control his rage. Reluctantly Yugi placed a small hand on his friend's shoulder.

"No!" Jou brought his arm up a fist on the other end of it, ready to punch Tristan with everything he was worth. Yugi wrapped his hand around the fist and held tight.

"Please stop." Yugi brought their hands down, "it's not his fault."

"Like Hell! He swore to me on the day of their wedding that he would never let anything bad happen to her." Jou glared at Tristan, who finally gathered up enough nerve to look at him again. It should have been him!" Jou pointed at Tristan, "You should be d-"

"Jou, don't finish what you are about to say. You'll regret it." Yugi said softly.

"He's right." Tristan finally spoke. "I did make that promise to keep her safe. I failed her and Jou and I was prepared to take my own life…" he paused abruptly. "Yami!" Yugi's head jerked up, it had been what seemed like ages since he had heard that name. "Yami convinced me to live on, for her."

"You met him somewhere? Where is he?" Yugi finally let go of Jou completely caught up in his strong feelings for Yami. His heart was beating wildly, flashes of pleasure flickered through his mind. The heat, Yami's hard and soft hands over his body, the feeling of Yami's beating heart against his skin. The smell of his sweat… Yugi flushed and came back to reality eager to hear Tristan's answer.

"He's in that new building. The same one the big cloud is coming from. I tried to get him out but that crazy man, Bakura I think, he has Yami bound with a strange magic. If it hadn't have been for him I would be dead right now. He sent me to get help but with all that's been going on I forgot about him."

"Well you are a good friend all around these days aren't you?" Jou said sarcastically.

"Why are they after Ya…" Yugi paused it hit him. Of course, he had based the Pharaoh in his story after Yami. Yami is the Pharaoh that Bakura wants to get revenge against. "He's the Pharaoh in my book. In the book Bakura catches him and does horrible things to him but doesn't kill him. We have to save him"

"The Pharaoh" Isis held two fingers to her lip coming to a sudden realization, "of course, I should have seen this coming. I should have gone to him first." Her head dropped. "Unfortunately there isn't anything we can do about it now. We need to focus on getting the items."

"But, Bakura is hurting him." Yugi glared how Isis could be so single minded. "Wouldn't you want to be saved?"

"I am not in that situation. He may hurt the Pharaoh but Pharaoh Atemu will need the items and Bakura won't be able to get them if we get them first. "

"But…" Yugi felt like a kid whose balloon had just flown away.

"I'm sorry, Yugi." Isis turned away, clearly finished with the conversation and focused on Tea. "You take Yugi, Jou and Tristan and find the items. The rest of us will keep in contact with the others around the globe. Once we get their items we will search for the book and for the Pharaoh."

"Let's go, Yugi." He could tell that Tea was sad about the decision to leave Yami for last. He agreed if only to get out of an argument he might not win. Besides, he smiled what Isis didn't know was that one of the items was hidden in the very same place Yami was being held. At least that's how Yugi wrote it. He would simply kill two birds with one stone.

Yugi followed Tea out with Jou at his side; at least he was until he noticed Seto lingering in the hall. He stopped. "I thought you were leaving."

"Let's go Mokuba." Seto turned on his heels and headed swiftly for the door. "Mokuba?" Seto turned back to his brother.

"You aren't going to help them?" Mokuba looked up at his brother, his deep blue eyes wet and threatening to leak tears.

"Let's go." Seto repeated more sternly.

"Tristan saved my life!"

"They are all crazy, let's go." He said and was out the door with Mokuba in toe.

"Jou?" Yugi walked back in and looked at his friend. "Don't worry about him. He'll come around. He always does." Jou nodded and left with Yugi again.

**

* * *

**

"Yug' are you sure this is the way we should go?" Jou asked as he and Yugi ran through the empty streets of Domino, the ground was an inky black and the sky was electric. "Isis said that we shouldn't save him yet."

"I can't help it if Yami and the item are in the same place." Jou shook his head. "And if it were Seto instead of Yami, what would you do?" Jou sighed in defeat; of course he would save Seto in the same situation. "Alright then, while we are in there, you look for the item and I will get Yami out."

Jou and Yugi continued their run down the streets. The electricity in the air only got stronger the closer they got and it radiated off of everything. It felt as if every step induced static shock. Jou's blonde hairs drifted around his head wildly and try as he might, Jou could not get it to stay down. "Stop messing with it, it won't stop, the closer we get to that building the worse it will get."

"Maybe I should use your product? What do you use?"

"Does that really matter right now?" Yugi stopped running at the double glass doors, the grand entrance for a building of evil. But something was wrong, this was all too easy. "Would they let us just walk in?"

"It's gotta be a trap, but we aren't getting anywhere out here." Jou said and kicked the door open, not wanting to take the risk of getting shocked by touching the door.

They walked in carefully and Yugi stopped at the information desk to have a look at the plans for the building. "Look at this. This place was only put up about the same time I started writing that story. I mean it wasn't even…. I didn't even write it in the book of creation yet. I guess Isis was right about this being my destiny." Yugi glanced at the building and his mouth fell open. The building was huge, not only did the building stretch forty floors to the top but it also stretched twenty more stories underground. With over a thousand rooms on each floor this was proving to be a near impossible mission.

"Did you have to make this place so big?"

"I didn't. I only made the fortress in Bakura's time a little complicated. I guess the fates made my book fit in modern times."

"I hate books." Jou said under his breath and Yugi laughed.

"We'll let's get started. I will take the top floors since we know Yami is in the basement. We meet here in two hours okay. Don't be late or I will come looking for you."

"Maybe we shouldn't do this. Maybe we should come back with the others."

"No, if Isis finds out there is no way she'll let us come back here. You want to save him or not?"

"Yes. I do. I love him with all my heart." Yugi looked at him. "But I don't want you to go alone. I don't want to lose you again."

"I'll be fine. We both will it's our destiny." Yugi paused and reached for his friend's hand. "Just be very careful. There is something I forgot to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The character I based after you, he… sacrifices himself to help the me character. He gets killed. I… I didn't write it that way because I was mad at you or anything like that. It was just so show how strong friendship is. I did it for drama and the you character was a hero…. But I never thought any of this would happen for real, I don't want you to die."

"Yugi, I will be fine." He smiled and ran off. "Two hours!" he called and was gone. Yugi shook off his fear and walked for the stairs that lead down. (Nice of fate to forget to add elevators). Yugi went down to the next level and sighed, the halls were all the same and every door looked identical. It had a hospital feel to it and not the helping-people-get-better-part; it was more like the hospital where you knew everyone was terminally ill and that they were only days from death. Yugi shuttered. The lights flickered and went off for a split second until the generator kicked in leaving the hall in a dark eerie red glow, the walls may as well have been bleeding.

In the distance Yugi could hear banging, like a battering ram in the distance. It was getting closer. Something was coming for him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up in warning. Yugi launched himself into a room and shut the door he needed to find something to fight with. He looked at a desk and picked something up and aimed it at the door. When his eyes adjusted his face whitened. What monster would fear his weapon of choice… a common stapler? He tossed it aside and dug through the drawers. His hands dug around frantically, his heart was beating too fast. The banging drew nearer and his fingers went numb with fear, "Gah!" he yanked out the drawer and tossed it away in frustration and smirked seeing a silver glow beneath the desk slot. A gun.

He drew up the weapon and aimed it at the door ready for whatever would come through that door. The sound stopped abruptly and was replaced by a gurgling voice. It was talking, but Yugi didn't know what to make of it. Something along the lines of: "I know you're in here and I'm going to kill you"? The light under the door was interrupted and slowly the handle turned. Yugi swallowed hard and the gun shook in his hand.

The door opened and was yanked off its hinges by the thing behind the door. Yugi looked it up and down, it stood seven feet tall, a Shadeling in the shape of a man with no arms. Two sharp scythes stuck out of his back and wrapped around his body, guess it didn't need arms to kill when it had those. Its face was distorted and Yugi could only make out a twisted mouth with a sinister smile.

Yugi pointed the gun at it and pulled the trigger, the Shadeling just dodged it and Yugi knew it was its turn to attack. The Shadeling swung its scythe like arms around and brought down any walls that were in their path. Yugi fell to the ground and crawled out into the hall, hiding amongst the smoke and debris. He ducked out of the room and he was in the hall again. Rather than waste time trying to get up and run he just kept crawling as fast as he could.

The Shadeling did not have eyes so the smoke did not need to clear for it to know exactly where Yugi was and would not stop until Yugi was dead. Yugi never looked back but it was too late, the Shadeling brought down one of its scythes and plunged it into the back of Yugi's leg pinning his leg to the ground. Yugi Screamed in wild pain, he saw white and his body curled up in an attempt to make the pain more bearable.

The Shadeling pulled its weapon free of Yugi and smiled in its own sinister way, then gurgled out a laugh. It leaned down to face Yugi letting Yugi see his many teeth it was like a shark's mouth. Was that what it took souls out with or did it just kill its victims with them. Yugi had no interest in really finding out so he ignored the pain and rolled over pointing the gun right at its face.

* * *

"Ahhh!" Jou screamed out in frustration, that thing was after him. Not only ten seconds of searching and he found a damn two-headed-doglike Shadeling. It had no eyes and each head had slits through the middle and each mouth held about a hundred teeth. It ran on four legs like a leopard. Jou stopped at a huge conference room and smiled at the artwork hanging on the wall behind the huge oval table. Two katanas hung on the wall and Jou could only hope they were real. He ran for them and grabbed one up, it felt real in his hands. Perfect. He would slice that dog thing in half.

The Shadeling came to a stop at the door and sniffed the air and stalked into the room it had found its prey. Jou glared and took a stance, he spread his legs and brought the sword high up above his head and brought it back down quickly just as she shadeling jumped at him. The sword was sharp enough and the shadeling fell in a bloody heep on either side of Jou. Guts poured out around his legs and he jumped away feeling sick. How could it have human organs? He held the sword close and sprinted for the door. He hunched over holding onto the doorframe for support and emptied the contents of his stomach right there in the hall.

A snarl hit his ears and on either side of him were two more dog shades. Jou wiped his mouth with the back of his hands. Good thing he had skipped out on lunch that day. He looked at the dog blocking the stairs and nodded, this floor didn't have what he was looking for, and he needed to go up so he would just have to face that one. Jou ran at the dog and cut it down just as he had the other one and ran up the steps two at a time and let out a breath to see that the halls were clear… for now. "For Serenity." Jou whispered to himself. She was his best motivation. He got to thinking of all the others he might lose because of these things… the only girl he had ever romantically loved. Would he lose her? Seto, would he lose him too. Stubborn bastard. Jou stood tall, he would be strong for Seto and Serenity and Mai. She had long since passed on and that's when Seto was there. Jou had fallen in love with him then and there. His thoughts were shaken when he heard a gunshot. That was the second one he heard in the past fifteen minutes. He hoped Yugi wasn't on the other end of either one. He must be getting attacked too. "Shit!" Jou looked back at the stairs, should he go back down and find his friend? No, Yugi would want him to keep going to save the world. That's what he would do. Jou ran um three more floors and stopped on the third. A golden glow glistened in the distance; it seemed to dispel the dark red glow the generator had created. He found the item. He smiled and ran down the hall.


	19. Enough

**---Enough---**

With the shadeling dead at his side, Yugi was able to pull himself up from the blood covered ground and gather his bearings. The gun was still hot in his hands and they shook with adrenaline. These monsters were becoming more real, not just shadows but people covered in a dark skin, as if their shadows had taken them over and molded them into something evil, something even the likes of hell has never seen.

He bent down and looked his leg over the wound went all the way through. He had to stop the bleeding so he pulled off his collar and tightened it around his leg. He stood. He wasn't anywhere closer to finding Yami.

"Where do you think you are going?" Jou leaned in from the door behind Yugi and panted. Yugi looked at him and smiled, "thank god you are okay. I heard gun shots."

"Yeah, I sort of had to kill one of those… things." Yugi pointed down to the monster at his feet.

"You took that one out? No way he's huge." Jou smiled. "Guess you learned to be a man after all." Yugi smacked him playfully and it was then that Jou noticed his leg. "Oh man! What happened to you?" Jou fell down to his knees and grabbed up Yugi's leg.

"Okay, ouch! Put it down. That monster stabbed me, he almost had me too. I had to be strong, I started thinking of you all and how I started this and I should be the one to fix it."

"Yugi, no one blames you. But I'm glad you found that strength to make it through. This is getting too dangerous though we should get out of here."

"No." Yugi pulled away from Jou. "I'm going to find Yami. He needs me."

"But I have the item. We need to get out of here." Jou's body jerked forward and his eyes rolled in the back of his head. Yugi gasped and looked up at the white haired villain, a man he had seen many times in his ideas and dreams. The villain of his story.

"Bakura." Yugi breathed as he scooped up his friend. Bakura had kicked him in the back of the head and he was out cold. Bakura smirked and bend down digging the golden puzzle from Jou's clothes. Yugi could only sit and watch, fear consumed him so entirely that his heart stopped dead in his chest.

"Well, if it isn't the creator." He laughed ironically. "This item belongs to me. It was extremely rude of your friend to take it from me. I should kill him." At that, Yugi stood and stepped in front of Jou. "Ah, I see. Well friendship can only make you weak. Allow me to prove my point because I can see that you do not believe me." Bakura reached over and pushed a door open. Yugi looked inside and saw a wall full of T.V. screens. "Look at the two at the bottom left there." Yugi stiffened. In the top screen Tristan was cowering and covered in cuts.

"What's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Bakura walked into the room and fanned his hand out over the screens. "I want to see every victim. I want to hear the beautiful screams and feeble cries for help."

"You're sick."

"I am what you made me."

"You're fictional!"

"Hardly. Now pay attention. You see your friends are in danger. Now I am a reasonable man. Tell you what. I will give you the item and the Pharaoh on one condition. You sit here with me and watch your friends Jou, Tristan, and Anzu die."

"Fuck you!" Yugi spat never more please to say the "F word" in his life.

"So you will be going with the second option. If you hurry you can save them." Yugi looked at Tristan's screen. He was being surrounded by ten shadeling dogs. In the other screen Anzu held her bleeding arm and tears rolled down her face as a huge shadeling with club arms stalked after her. "It's him or them."

"I will save them all. The world and I will put an end to this." Yugi pulled Jou's head up onto his lap and stroked his cheek.

"Not this time. You will help me. You and your stupid friends will be collecting the items for me." Bakura looks back at Yugi and down at his friend. "I suggest you make a decision here."

Yugi smirked darkly and drew up the gun, "I have another option for you." Bakura stood in shock, this kid had balls. "Call off those monsters and let Yami go!"

"Do you really think that will work on me?" Bakura took a step closer. "Go ahead, shoot me." Yugi held his ground, what was he up to? "You can't do it. You know it won't stop me." Bakura let out his usual laugh and Yugi fired once in warning then again up at the ceiling. During the argument Yugi noticed that Bakura was standing under part of a wall that was hanging on by a thread of metal. The bullet hit it dead-on and the ceiling came crashing down on Bakura crushing him. Yugi tossed the gun aside and bent down over Jou this time smacking his cheeks just hard enough to wake him.

"Jou, wake up. Please. We have to get out of here and help Anzu and Tristan." Jou opened his eyes slowly.

"What happened?"

"He kicked you in the back of the head." Yugi looked back at the pile of rubble blood and silver hairs stuck out from beneath a few of the pieces. "I've stopped him for now I hope."

Jou looked back at the pile, "Shit. What did you do to him?" Jou crawled up to his feet slowly and helped Yugi up. "Let's get out of here." Jou looked down at where Bakura had been standing and smiled at the familiar glow, the puzzle; he grabbed it up and held it close. "But wait aren't we going to save Yami?"

"I want to but our friends are in danger. He will still be here after we save them." Yugi turned on his heels and ran for the stairs with Jou right behind him. "Don't worry Yami! I'll come back to save you!" then they were gone.

**

* * *

**

Tristan glanced back over his shoulder at the attacking dogs and flipped over onto his back kicking one off with his feet as it jumped on him. The Shadeling hit the chain-link fence behind with a pitiful cry. He bent his hands back and placed them on the ground by his head and pushed himself up off the ground, he landed on two feet and ran toward the fence and climbed up and over.

The Shadelings climbed right after him he would have to kill them with something but what? He glanced around frantically. At the end of the fence was a leftover fence poll. Tristan ran over and grabbed it then turned around to face his attackers. They all came at once and he pulled back the poll liked a bat and waited for them all to approach. Once in range he gave one huge sweep knocking them all away. The dogs looked up at him with dark intent. "I hate dogs!" Tristan screamed and swung the poll around again smacking one across the face leaving one side of his vision blind to a shadeling.

It jumped and dug its teeth into Tristan's hip. "AHH! Fuck." Tristan dropped the poll and frantically grabbed at the monsters mouth with both hands trying to pry its mouth open. The pain was almost too much for him to take and soon he was numb to it. He dug his nails into the roof of its mouth as he tried to yank the mouth open just enough for him to slip out. The monster simply hug on, the taste of Tristan's blood giving it more strength. Tristan hissed through his teeth as he tried a different approach and tried pushing his hip out of the monsters mouth. Its teeth scraped across his skin and he was finally free.

He slumped to one side and staggered back against a wall and held his hip to stop the bleeding but it only trickled faster through his fingers. The dog-like Shadelings sniffed and licked at the droplets of his blood on the asphalt. Tristan pressed his body up against the brick wall, took a painful breath, and leaned his head back looking up at the black sky then smiled with new hope at what he saw.

He reached up and grabbed hold of the last bar on a fire escape ladder and yanked it down, blood squirted from his hip but he ignored it. He wasted no time in climbing up, once on the balcony he pulled the ladder up. He climbed up to the roof and fell back against a wall letting out a sigh of relief. He felt like giving up then but deep inside he knew that his death would be in vain if he didn't at least give the item to Isis. He pulled a golden key from his trench coat and looked at it. "Stupid thing."

He pulled himself up on his feet and ignored his pain once more and sprinted across the roof and swallowed hard, he hadn't jumped from roof top to roof top since he and Jou ran the streets in their teens. He let out a scream and leapt from the edge of the building and landed on the other side of the alley. This way would be much safer than facing those dogs. He looked at his side, hopefully he wouldn't lose too much blood this way. He grimaced and ran for the next rooftop.

He smiled as he jumped through the air, he felt free and happy. When was the last time he had done this? He remembered the warm summer days that he and Jou would run from the police after stealing a few pornos from the shop on the corner. He laughed as he saw past visions of him and Jou running through the streets stealing bras from clothes lines. He stopped on a corner roof and looked down at the corner store. It had been closed for sometime but the owner stilled lived in the building below his feet. He might remember to apologize to the man if he were alive at the end of all this.

"Pharaoh! Help me…." Tristan blinked and looked down the alley. Anzu was pressed against a store window holding her bloody arm, tears running down her face, she whispered a name over and over. "Atem… please, you always save me." She screamed as an arm swung over the window raining glass down over her. Tristan tucked the item into his coat again and made his way down the building across clothes lines that thankfully held him as he swung down like Tarzan. He kicked the human-like Shadeling in the chest and grabbed up a huge shard of glass and stabbed it in the throat turning away from the gurgling sound of its death. "Tristan." Anzu smiled a bit and gasped. "Your side, what happened?"

"It's nothing." He said and she pushed his coat away and lifted his shirt. "Ah, god woman!" he glared at her, the pain was hot and cold and made him want to choke her.

"Quit whining." She ripped off the bottom of her shirt and wrapped it around his waist tight and looked up at him. "That should do until we get back. Thank you for saving me."

"No problem."

"I know you guys probably don't think you know me anymore, now that you know I was a part of all of this."

"Anzu, you are still the same person we knew back then, everyone has secrets. We are, the four of us, will always be best friends." Tristan pulled the item out again and smiled. "Check it out." She screamed with excitement. "Let's get it back to the others. Did you get the necklace?" she nodded and pulled her shirt down a bit to show her neck. "Good, let's go." He grabbed her hand and headed out of the alley with her then stopped.

"What is it?"

"Shh!" he pulled her behind him and listened carefully. He was right. He heard footsteps in the distance, where there still people left in the city? "Hello!?" Tristan looked through the dark electrical haze and smiled. "Yo guys!" Anzu looked over Tristan's shoulder and smiled.

"Yugi! Jounouchi!" she stepped out from behind Tristan and reached her hands out for Yugi's and smiled at him. "It's so good to see you. There was a moment when I didn't think I would make it to see you all again." Yugi hugged her.

"Thank god you guys are okay. I thought we wouldn't make it in time. We got the puzzle and I know where Yami is but… we couldn't get to him."

"Atem." Yugi looked at Anzu as she gave him a dark look.

"I know that I wasn't supposed to go after him but he was right there. I just want him to be okay. We have to help him now.

"No, we have to regroup… Yugi hurt his leg, and just look at Tristan. If we go back there like this then we will be killed for sure." Jou said. "We need to get back to the game shop."

* * *

Deep within the rubble Bakura laughed and pulled himself up. "They think they can beat me. Only one thing can do that and they will never discover what that is." He paused; he'd had enough of these games, "It's Time!" Bakura slithered through the walls and down to the basement materializing before Yami. He lifted the Pharaoh's chin and looked him over. "Now you will see what it's like to lose everything you've fought so hard for. The light can always be extinguished."

Yami opened his eyes slowly; Bakura leaned in to look into his eyes looking for something familiar but it wasn't there. "Why can't I see it?" he moved in closer and yanked Yami's hair forcing his head back. "The fear, where is it?" Yami lunged forward as much as he could and plunged the knife into Bakura's heart. "AH!" Bakura pulled away and looked down at the knife sticking from his side.

Yami smirked darkly and it was his turn to laugh, "I do not fear you. You are nothing to me. Now die." Bakura looked up at the Pharaoh and smiled grabbing hold of the knife. He pulled it from his chest slowly, thin streams of blood leaking through his skin. Yami's face whitened.

"That would have worked if I had one of those." Bakura back handed the pharaoh hard enough to bust his bottom lip open. "Oh I will enjoy killing you slowly." Bakura snapped his fingers and the binds that held the Pharaoh in place vanished. Bakura caught the pharaoh in his arms and his black shadow snaked around the Pharaoh's body tying him enough to keep him immobile.

When Yami opened his eyes again he was on the roof, tied to another slab overlooking a giant stone carved in the shape of a man, different holes were carved into it but what went inside them? "Ah, welcome back Pharaoh. I do hope you are ready. Pretty soon every item I need will be here and so the end had begun."


	20. The End of Love as We Know It

---**The End of Love As We Know It**---

Back at the game shop Yugi and his friends were being treated for their injuries; Jou was the last to be fixed up, him being the only one with a few baby scratches. He flinched and hissed in anger as Isis dabbed disinfectant on his cuts. His body flinched away spasmodically even before Isis could get close to him. It was refreshing how childish he could be.

Yugi glanced away and over at Tristan; he had taken to glaring out the window. His breaths were short and shallow; it was obvious he was in pain. Yugi stood up and crossed the room to place a friendly hand on his shoulder. Tristan looked up at him with sad eyes that broke Yugi's heart. How many people would end up like Tristan? How many of his friends would suffer because he wrote a book? His mistakes were always getting his friends into trouble. It seemed that his life would always be this way. Then again, he looked out the window at the black cloud, maybe they didn't have to get hurt this time. Maybe, no, not maybe, he would end this himself. He'd save Yami and the others on his own. He was strong enough, he had to be.

"Just sit still, Jounouchi! I'm not even touching you yet." Isis mothered in the background. "Stop moving, you'll get an infection then have to get a shot!"

"Alright, alright, fine." Jou sat still and let her finish, "Crazy woman," he said only after Isis had finished and was out of earshot. He looked over at his friend, "hey, T how are you holding up?" Tristan looked over at Jou with tired eyes and gave him a quarter-smile.

"I could be better." He held his side as he took a deep breath. "I miss her man." Tristan looked out the window once more he could see her visage in what was left of the white clouds.

"I miss her too." Jou walked over to him and took a seat. "I'm sorry about what I said before; I know you wouldn't let her die if you had the choice. Truth is I was jealous."

"What do you mean?" Tristan asked never taking his eyes off of the clouds.

"Well I knew you could take better care of her than I could, I'm her brother, that should be my job but you are the better man. I've never held a steady job, I'm in and out of apartments, and my life is a mess. I just want to thank you for everything." Tristan looked at him and nodded.

"Aw man, when did you get this cheesy?" he teased to lighten the mood. "Yugi, did you hear what he said?" Tristan looked around, "Yugi?" but Yugi was nowhere to be found.

"Shit… do you think he--" Jou stood up dramatically.

"I think so." Tristan stood up a bit slower but the resulting head rush forced him back down into his seat. "If I know Yugi as well as I remember he went out on his own."

"We have to get him back, he could get killed. Hasn't he learned by now that he needs us?" Jou glared. "Dammit!"

Isis walked into the room elegantly, as usual, "We have a problem." Jou gave her a look that said "duh". "Bakura knows where to find the other items and he has been sending the Shadelings to the other countries to retrieve them. As far as I know he has collected two of them."

"I thought he couldn't send those out that far, the black cloud is still in Japan." Isis nodded.

"But he has gotten stronger with all the souls he's collected so far, he can send one Shadeling at a time to a place if he concentrates on it hard enough." Isis paused. "Where is Yugi?"

"We don't know, he slipped out sometime, we need to find him before something happens to him. You know Bakura is waiting for the right time to separate us."

**

* * *

**

Yugi ran down the streets frantically, the energy of a dying earth had gotten stronger in the past few hours. He had to hurry. He rounded a corner and stopped, suddenly the air was lighter and sweeter. He looked down an alleyway but it wasn't anything special. "Yugi." Yugi glanced around; he knew that voice, Serenity. "Yugi, help me." Yugi walked down the Alley and glanced behind a dumpster. Serenity looked up at him with soft eyes, he body a crumpled heap on the floor. "Help me, I managed to escape." She reached out her hand to him. Yugi reached down and just as their hands met he felt a burn, a bullet had just grazed his fingers. Yugi looked in the direction from which it came and saw Tristan welding a shotgun. Serenity looked over at her husband and smiled. "My love."

"Shut up." He said and shot her in the forehead, the back of her head blew off leaving a bloody mess on the dumpster behind her. Yugi looked away and covered his ears to drown out his own scream of pain.

"Tristan, why did you do that!?" he screamed as he opened his eyes but Tristan was no longer there. He looked down, neither was serenity.

Yugi backed out of the alley and tried to shake the horrible image out of his head but every time he ran through an alley he was reminded of it. He decided to climb up on one of the buildings; he now knew why Tristan had decided to do it this way. Once he reached the top he was stopped again. Seto stood in the center of the building, proud and regal. "Mr. Kaiba?" Yugi took careful steps to make sure he was real, if he wasn't, Yugi couldn't tell.

"Yugi, You're fired."

"I know that." Yugi glared.

"Why are you still here? Anyone who lost their job the way you did would take up a gun and kill his whole family then himself." Seto laughed darkly. "I lost the only one I loved." Yugi glared at him. "So I did this!" as the worlds left his mouth he pulled a body from behind his back. "My little brother tried to tell me it would be alright but I couldn't see it, he was trying to trick me. So I smothered him with a pillow." Seto laughed shaking his little brother's limp body by the collar of his shirt.

"What the hell!" Yugi charged forward, "you didn't. You wouldn't."

"I did." He said. "Catch" Seto laughed as he tossed Mokuba off the side of the building. Yugi ran as fast as he could toward the edge of the building. Yugi's fingers grazed the fabric of the young Kaiba's shirt but it wasn't enough.

"NO! MOKUBA! GAH!" Yugi grabbed his hair and yanked it in frustration. "Seto!" He looked around. No sign of him. "What the hell is going on?" He looked at the building in the distance; the haunting visions must have been coming from it. It was as he suspected and before he knew it he was thrown into another vision of darkness that brought him to his knees. "Stop!" He pushed on both sides of his head with his hands determined to see clearly but the magic was too strong. He groaned in agony before darkness completely took over.

**---**

The moment Yugi finally found the strength to open his eyes he sensed something was wrong, he couldn't move his legs or arms. "Yugi!" That voice. Yugi glanced across from him and smiled slightly. "Yugi are you alright!?" Yami looked back at him but he didn't seem happy at all. No. why would he be, Yami was tied up and so was he.

"Yami. What… what's going on now?" He looked down and gasped, between them was the stone statue in which the items were to be placed. "No." Yugi struggled.

"It's no use; they made of a dark shadow magic." Yami glared. "Why did you invent such things!?"

"Me?! You're blaming me!? If you hadn't crashed into that tree none of this would have happened."

"And if you knew how to write we wouldn't be here either."

"Shut up, the two of you!?" Bakura stepped onto the roof from the elevator that protruded from it. "Bring him in!" Bakura looked back at Jenkins as he dragged a man with white hair behind him, his body limp and frail, he looked a bit like Bakura minus the pure evil. "Bakura grabbed the man up by his snowy mane and shook him violently toward Yami. "Remember him?" Yugi looked at Yami to gage his reaction, apparently, by the look on Yami's face, Yami had seen this one before. "Now that I have what I want, I want you to see just what a shadeling can do." Bakura laughed and threw the boy down on the ground.

"Bakura!" Yami warned.

"Haven't we been through this, oh "great" king, you know your threats mean nothing to me, he is the last one, all the way from London England, I'm sure you know him." Bakura brought his hands to the front of his body and made a circle with them before the ring he wore on a chain around his neck. "Professor Ryou, it's odd how he looks almost like me."

"You have four items." Yugi looked at the statue in the middle when he finally noticed.

"That's right, and as soon as your friends get here I will have the other three. The ritual is almost complete. Soon the world will belong to Zork." Bakura laughed once more. "Ah, speaking of your friends, I want to thank you. If you hadn't left them they wouldn't be on their way to certain death. They do care for you so. Unlike the Pharaoh here."

"What do you mean?" Yugi looked at Yami.

"I mean he doesn't really love you."

"Why should I believe you?"

"You shouldn't, so don't take my word for it." Bakura smirked. "Ask him yourself." Bakura looked at Yami as Yugi did.

"Don't listen to him, Yugi."

"Is that how it's going to be?" Bakura picked up Ryou, as he was named, again by his hair and pulled a dagger from his belt and held it to Ryou's throat. "If you don't tell him the truth then this one will die as a direct result of your stubbornness. I'm sure it would be hard for you to live with yourself it you knew you could have saved him and didn't."

"Bakura let him go! Let both Yugi and Ryou go!" Yami yanked at his restraints again but stopped when Bakura drew a thin line of blood from Ryou's throat. Ryou whimpered like a puppy being buried alive. "Alright!" Yami glared and looked over at Yugi. "Yugi, listen to me."

"Yami don't, don't make up lies for him"

"It's not a lie. I never loved you, I won't ever love again. I was only using you to get that story out of you. Taking your virginity was a plus."

"No Yami, don't…. don't say things like that." Yami may as well have been slowly carving out his heart with a nail file. The pain was thin and slow. "Shut up!"

"I know about your past. I'm no better than Marik. Your body was a prize; I was getting what I wanted for work. I knew Seto was planning of firing you. I didn't care. I don't love you Yugi, you are so naïve." Yugi gasped and looked away.

"Marik…" Yugi looked away. "No! GAH!!" his head was spinning, he knew Yami was telling the truth. Yugi screamed. Bakura nodded at Jenkins. Yami watched and screamed as well when Bakura slit Ryou's throat and tossed him aside like garbage. He jerked his head back toward Yugi when his scream had changed a bit, Jenkins' carved into Yugi's skin with a sharp blade and collected the small about of blood that drizzled out into a small bowl.

"The blood of a heart freshly tainted with hate!" Bakura laughed as Jenkins carried the bowl back to him.

"Yugi!" Jou called from the end of the elevator.

"It's time!" Bakura laughed. The final ingredients are here. Yugi sobbed and whimpered in pain and anger, nothing matter at this point. Nothing would matter again and soon nothing would be left. Maybe peace, maybe what all people were looking for was not love but death. The sweet release of death to sooth away all the pain. The only thing that made Yugi happy was the thought of the end.


	21. Heading Towards Tomorrow

**---Heading Towards Tomorrow---**

"How could you say those horrible things? I knew it. I fucking knew it!" Jou Screamed "I heard everything!"

"Stay out of this Jou! You shouldn't have come here!" Yami warned after witnessing Yugi's heart break before him was something he wasn't expecting to hurt that much.

"Enough!" Bakura's voice cut through the commotion and he raised his hand to Yami. "You have served your purpose; I will hear no more from you!" He said and raised his hand higher and pulled a dark matter from thin air and made a throwing motion with his hand that caused the matter to fly at Yami and into his chest. Yami let out a screech that would have made even the strongest men cringe. Yami's body fell limp after a few seconds.

"And as for you." Bakura turned his attention toward Jou and the others as they piled in behind him. "Hand over the items."

"Over my dead body!"

"Jou I don't think you want to give him any ideas." Tristan's eyes ran over Ryou's limp lifeless body. "Shit. What has he been doing to these people?" his eyes wondered over to another body and another.

"Ryou!" Anzu bit back her tears. "And the others. Oh Isis!" she turned around and hugged her. "How…"

"It seems he indeed used his monsters to get them and bring them here. No doubt they fought to keep their items."

"A feat that proved to be quite impossible for them." Bakura added as if annoyed that the attention he so desperately wanted at that time was not given to him. "Hand over the items" he repeated, "or I will be forced to take them from you." Bakura snapped his fingers and Shadelings slithered up from the ground and surrounded the small group of heroes.

"Bakura, I would be wise if you surrendered to us." Isis said as she stepped forward. "You will not win."

"Look around you Isis, I've already won. You are just upset that you couldn't be by my side. I gave you that chance. Then you had to go and team up with Shadi and the others forgoing your power to create a world of darkness." Bakura flicked his wrist and the Shadelings pounced covering the heroes in a black ink that left them paralyzed. One by one each shadeling brought the items to Jenkins who put them in the appropriate hole. "It is done. And so you don't miss out I'm going to let you all watch as I summon the dark lord." Bakura rounded the statue and stopped before an altar and looked down at the Book of Creation. "I call upon the darkness, break through the light devour it as black ink does to paper. I call forth the god of everlasting darkness, rise from the earth and be home again, Zork the Dark Lord!" Bakura laughed and the earth began to shake.

The clouds swirled violently as the wind picked up and thousands of tornados fell from the sky drilling a hole in the earth. Lightening struck the ground and fire began to rain down. The negative energy was too much; it cracked and burned with pressure. "He's here!" Bakura laughed as a giant hand of darkness lifted from the ground. Zork picked itself from the ground and let out a loud howl. The screams of thousands of souls, millions of voices crying out for help as they were slaughtered. Yugi's head jolted back and his eyes ran up the whole of Zork's being. He was as tall as five Tokyo towers stacked on top of each other.

With a swing of it great arms it took out every building within a five mile radius, including Kaiba corp. This couldn't be how it ended. Yugi closed his eyes in search of the answer. "NO!" Yugi blinked and looked across the building. Jou had screamed. "The puzzle! Yami needs it." He didn't condone the words that hurt Yugi but he knew the only way to save Yugi and all of them was to help Yami. He shook off Bakura's power easily due to the fact that Bakura was too excited about Zork. He ran for the puzzle and grabbed hold of the strap and yanked it free.

At the same time Isis had broken free and pulled a dagger she had hidden behind her long skirt and ran to cut Yugi down with the only weapon capable of cutting the energy. Yugi feel to the ground in a heap still keeping his eyes on what Jou was doing. Shadi ran with Isis and grabbed the dagger from her and cut down Yami. "My king?" Shadi whispered but there was nothing but long shallow breaths.

"Master they are attempting to escape." Jenkins warned. Bakura looked at him and watched the scene behind him.

"Fools!" He screamed, "My Shadelings Get them!" the shapeless monsters slithered and flew at each one, knocking Isis, Shadi and Jou to the ground. Shadi and Isis fell unconscious while Jou wouldn't give up. He stood back up and reached out the puzzle toward Yami. Bakura snarled. "Watch the book." He told Jenkins and drew up a sword made of black steel. Violet streaks of lightening ran up and down its length.

Jou tossed the puzzle into the air as close as he could get it to Yami and then turned to face Bakura. The puzzle finally hit the ground behind Jou causing it to smash into pieces. "Coward, you think you can win by manipulating people's hearts and taking everyone we love! Well I have news for you; you are only making us stronger!"

"I beg to differ." Bakura said right before he pulled back and plunged his sword into Jou's stomach. He gave it a quick twist before pulling it out. "Now Die, mortal!"

Yugi shivered the shock from watching his best friend get stabbed too much for him to even let out a scream. How could this… this was what he was trying to avoid. "Jou… No Jou! NOO!"

Jou looked back at him and gave a smile, "finish this, fix the puzzle and save us." He whispered and fell to his knees before falling on his stomach.

"No Jou!" Yugi looked over at the puzzle and nodded. He would fix the puzzle. He crawled over to it, his eyes watering, tears leaving a trail behind him as he made his way to the mess of gold. He stopped and began to piece it back together.

"It is no use. You can't save anyone. Even if you manage to put it back together, Yami cannot do anything. One man can't save the world. As we speak Zork is taking out most of this city next will be Tokyo, and all of Japan. Then the world!"

"You're wrong!" The puzzle rose up from the ground just as Yugi put in the final piece, he watched it spin slowly as it ascended in a heavenly fashion releasing gold flecks that sprinkled over everything like a disco ball distributing rainbow light. The puzzle came to a stop above Yami, his body a limp form beneath it. Yugi looked away, his attention on Yami only made his heart ache. Then as the sun breaks through dark rain clouds, ribbons of gold filtered out from the puzzle and feathered over Yami's features, the ribbons wrapped around his wrists and ankles, one wrapped around his neck. The puzzle was drawing him up off the ground. Yami's clothes changed, the light dressed him in a white kilt, he suddenly wore armlets and anklets, Yugi looked back at Yami after hearing Bakura utter something under his breath. Yugi's breath hitched, Yami was a pharaoh, a handsome one. After the puzzle had stopped spinning it lost its ability to fly and feel down toward the ground. The strap snagged, the puzzle inches from the ground. Yugi's eyes followed the puzzle up to the strap and to the decorated hands of its catcher. Yami pulled the puzzle up and put it around his neck. He stood tall once more. Not a single scratch on his perfectly chiseled body.

"Pharaoh, Atemu you have returned." Isis said weakly as the others began to come to, the golden light of the puzzle was slowly giving them strength back.

"It is alright, Friends. Rise." Atemu walked over to them. He may as well have been Jesus or any other biblical hero. Yugi couldn't help but stair and it only got worse as Atem stopped in front of him. "Dear creator, I would not be here without you." Atem stroked his cheek with the back of his hand. "Thank you." Yugi swallowed hard and glanced down at the ground.

"This is all very touching, but even if you managed to be reborn, there is no way you will beat me." Bakura stood and pointed behind him. "In case you haven't noticed, Zork is here."

"I am well aware of his presence." Atem turned on his heal and faced Bakura. "You have killed far too many people. I believe it is time for you to go." Atem reached behind his cape and drew a sword.

"You cannot kill me with that!" Bakura snarled at how Atem could have the audacity to even pull such a mortal weapon out on him.

"Yes I can. As you have sucked up the darkness into that ring of yours, I have the power to take the light and use it in a similar fashion." Atem smirked darkly and placed his hand on the puzzle and closed his eyes pulled a sphere of light from the eye of the puzzle and then brought it to his sword guiding his hand over the soft gleaming metal causing it to shimmer with new power.

Yugi stood up laying Jou on the ground for a moment. He had a clear shot of the book now, he just needed to get it and decipher the words on the first few pages, and he needed to lock Zork up again. His head was still spinning with pain but he ignored it. Thunder drummed through the sky causing him to stop. Atem and Bakura had charged at each other and were holding each other off with their swords. They were distracted. Yugi mustered up as much strength as he could and ran to grab the book but his hand was slapped away rather hard. Yugi glance at the owner of such a stern warning. "Jenkins!" Yugi glared. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping him?"

"Master say's this book is not to be touched."

"I don't want to hurt you but I will to get it." Yugi looked back at Atem as a scream came from his lips Bakura had managed to slice his arm. "Jenkins move!" Yugi shoved him aside and he slid quite a bit across the rooftop before stopping. Yugi grabbed the book and flipped through the pages and stopped at the picture of the symbols and flipped the page once more. He looked of the ancient writing and looked it over with his well trained eye. His grandfather had tried to teach him this language before he passed but Yugi felt it was a waste of time. What I time to find out he was wrong. He looked over the page and closed his eyes for a moment. The memory of his grandfather had to be there, his grandfather's words had to be buried deep in his mind. When he opened them again he smiled. The words suddenly looked familiar, as if written in English; he could read them clear as day. Yugi turned toward Bakura at Atem and began to read.

"As with all things there is an equal balance between them, when the scales are tipped toward the darkness bring balance to it once more and unlock the power of light. Power of light break free, power of light give me strength to see, power of light cut through the darkness and make it fade. Power of light I beseech thee, Power of light I S…"

"YUGI WATCH OUT!" Anzu screamed and reached out a hand as if that would protect him from what came next. Yugi sputtered out a breath and blood poured from his pink lips staining them in a permanent dark ink. Yugi looked down at his stomach only to find the sharp end of a sword sticking from it. He flinched and Jenkins smiled behind him as he withdrew the sword. Yugi stumbled forward and clenched the book light in both hands drawing it up to his chest as he fell to his knees.

Jenkins looked down at Yugi and watched as the blood pooled around him. He never thought this sight could be so lovely. He suddenly found it hilarious and he threw his head back and let out a laugh.

Isis fell to one knee and shook her head, they had lost. Atem was losing this battle before her; all because one by one he was losing his loved ones. Atem needed all of his people to be behind him, to believe in him to make him stronger. Bakura would win. "No…" she whispered.

"Are you just going to give up that easily!?" Isis's head shot up. That voice. Arrogant and cold. Isis gasped as a helicopter popped through the clouds like a burst of lightening. Seto stood at the doorway and looked down at them. "I won't sit around and watch as they take everything. Losing my company was the last straw!" he said and pulled back to get momentum before jumping out. He landed gracefully on the ledge of the building.

Isis watched him as he pulled out a sleek sliver gun and never took a moment of hesitation as he pulled the trigger letting a bullet grind its way through Jenkins' scull to bury itself in his brain. Jenkins fell forward next to Yugi causing Yugi to flinch and look away. "Seto."

"Yugi get up! Finish reading!" Seto walked over to Yugi and yanked him up onto his feet and held him up. Yugi looked up at him with painful eyes. "Read it!" Seto pulled the book up so Yugi could read it.

"P-Power of Light…." Yugi sputtered. "Power of… of… Light… I set… you…" He coughed.

"Yugi." Seto warned. "If you want this to end say the last word!" Yugi looked at him and let out an inaudible word. It fell from his lips like a drop of life. And though it was his most silent word it made to most noise. The world around him burst into a bright mist of light, colors swirled around all of them as if gathering all of their hope for strength. It swirled and few up into the clouds and burst into rain. A rain that washed away the darkness. Shadeling all around them screamed and hissed while they melted away as if they were nothing more than chock on the sidewalk.

Seto looked down at his arms as Yugi went limp in them. He set Yugi down and removed his silk tie and wrapped it around Yugi's stomach tight before getting up to finish what he has started. "You have been defeated!" Bakura glared and looked over at Zork. His monster of darkness screamed in pain as the rain cut through him like acid.

"It's over Bakura!" Atem said as the edge of his sword came to rest in the crook of Bakura's neck. "All of your bloodshed and carnage has come to an end once more." Atem gave a quick flick of his wrist and cut the millennium rung from Bakura's neck and caught it in his other hand before bringing it up toward Bakura.

"NO!" he stepped back only to be stopped by a wall behind him. When had Atem managed to do that? He had not time to wonder as Atem whispered a chant in Ancient Egyptian. The ring's charms floated up and pointed at Bakura magnetically and the ring began to pull Bakura into it like a black hole. Bakura screamed as his entire body was pulled into the ring. Atem fell to one knee afterward. This body was only strong enough for that one last trick. Atem looked over at Seto and nodded slowly before he too went back where he belonged, in the puzzle.

Seto took a deep breath and looked out over at Domino City, it would take years to fix the damage that was done but at least the world was safe once more. His company was gone but it wouldn't be too hard to repair… "Seto…" Mokuba whispered as he looked over at Jou and the others.

"Roland." Seto spoke into the collar of his coat, "Get the medical copter up here, now."

"Yes sir."

Seto walked over to Jou and picked him up turning him over. "Pup." Seto brought Jou's head up to his chest and held him close. This was why he never wanted to let himself love someone. But it was too late, he was in love. "Why are you taking the easy way out?" he whispered. Those were the last things Yugi heard before he passed out.


	22. Right Next to the Write One

**---Right Next to the Write One---**

Yugi opened his crystal violet eyes slowly but closed them again against the bright light that filtered through them. "He's awake." Anzu whispered and suddenly Yugi felt her soft cool hand brush through his bangs. "Yugi. How are you feeling?" He groaned. "Just relax. You'll be okay." He took a breath and hissed at the pain that followed.

Yami walked into the room and took a slow breath, he had prepared for this moment but found that he still wasn't ready. "How is he?"

"He's in a little pain." Anzu said and pulled her hand away causing Yugi to frown. "He's fine." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Listen to what he has to say." She whispered so only he could hear. She walked out of the room.

Yugi opened his eyes slowly ignoring the sting of the sunlight until Yami twisted the shutter stick closing out the light. "Thanks…" Yugi sat up slowly. "So everything's okay?"

"The city is in ruins but it's nothing we can't fix if we all pitch in." Yami sat in the chair next to Yugi's bed. "Isis, Shadi and Bobasa took the items and the book; they are going to hide them once more." Yugi nodded. "Hopefully they find a better place. I don't need this to happen again."

"Why are you still here? It's over now, what else do you want?"

"Yugi about what I said before… I…"

"You didn't mean it." Yugi stated prepared for the obvious statement one would make in this situation.

"No, that's not it." Yugi froze what? He gave Yami a sideways glance. "At first I was only using you. No, even on that day I meant what I said. What I really want to say is that, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Yugi sat up taller. "You're sorry! You used me, you took my virginity, you knew I had fallen in love with you and you still did this to me! I stood up for you when Jou had his doubts! Jou…" he paused…. "Now Jou's gone and you… all you can do is say you are sorry for all that you have taken from me."

"Yugi--"

"NO! Get out! I never want to see you again!"

"Yugi, I'm not leaving." Yami grabbed Yugi's fists in his hands and looked down into his eyes. "I don't know how to say this…" He shook his head and let out a frustrated grunt. "Yugi I want you to know… you helped me. My heart was cold and closed off. Then I meet you and all the rules changed. I was starting to forget that old part of me. I was angry at first… but now I see that when you came into my life it was destiny, it was what I needed. Life always seems to give me just what I need when I need it."

"Where were you?"

"I was…" Yami looked away.

"That's right, you were nowhere. So don't try to come into my life now, I don't need you. Get out." Yugi crossed his arms over his chest and turned slightly, ignoring his obvious pain. "Get out of my life. I hate you." Yami stood up and took a breath before walking out the door. Yugi brought a hand up to his face and covered his eyes as tears began to form.

**---Five Years Later---**

Yugi pulled up in his new black Mercedes, the drive wasn't as long as it used to be and it did get easier. The scars of the past were almost gone, the city was almost repaired, and Kaiba's new building was brighter and taller than before. Life seemed to move on as it always did. Yugi pulled up the drive and pulled on the parking brake as he stopped his car before getting out. He reached across the seat and pulled up the bouquet of flowers, his standard violet roses as sign of friendship. He trekked through the tall grasses of the cemetery. This small memorial was the least he could do to honor those who had lost their lives because of him.

He crossed the small courtyard pausing beneath a tall tree to feel the cool breeze he found there, "It's almost a sign of forgiveness, isn't it." Yugi turned around slowly.

"I thought you couldn't make it this year."

"What gave you that idea?" his friend stepped closer and stood next to him.

"The fact that there is a message on my machine that says you will be in Barbados this weekend with your boyfriend."

"Well it was postponed. He seemed to think this was more important." Yugi wrapped an arm around his neck and smiled. "Hey, maybe it was. I feel bad for everyone we lost."

"No too bad, you have your sister."

"That's true." He let out a heavy sigh, "but I caught a glimpse of life without her. And without Tristan too. I would have blamed him forever."

"Yeah, but it's a good thing our friendships are still as strong as ever." Yugi smiled up at his friend. "I couldn't imagine life without you either, Jounouchi. Thank god Seto was there to save us."

"Almost too late."

"True but the point is he was there when you needed him."

"That reminds me, how are things with you and Yami coming along?"

"Same as always." Yugi looked out over the headstones. "Things are getting a little better though… I suppose."

"When did he stop?"

"It was a while ago about two years after Zork."

* * *

_A few months after being rejected, Yami Atemu the famous editor published his first book (The first book under his own name). The book hit the shelves and within a matter of days it became a bestseller. With the money his book brought in he was able to buy his own building, it was a small company but it was his, a small publishing company was all he needed. Everything worked out perfectly for him… or that's what he wanted to let people believe. He would be ridiculed if they knew the truth. If they knew that his heart was broken, if they knew he was in love, if they knew how lonely he was._

"_What's wrong?" Seto Kaiba asked as he leaned back against Yami's Lamborghini, he had witnessed Yami sign the lease for his new building and waiting for him to walk out. _

"_Pardon? Why would something be wrong, I have everything I need. Now, get off my car." Yami pulled up his key and stopped at the door, Seto had refused to move._

"_Well you seem to have life in order but something tells me that you're just settling. There is something you're missing. Thing is, I can't figure out why you haven't gone after it."_

"_You don't know what you are talking about." Yami gave Seto a small push and unlocked his door before pulling it up and open._

"_Then I guess you've lost your edge." Yami gave him a look, "Well weren't you the one who said that you would do anything to get what you wanted. That you wouldn't stop until it was yours. Guess you can't do that anymore."_

"_Is that a challenge?" Yami glared up at him_

"_You mean you haven't had enough?"_

"_Never." Yami stood proudly_

"_Then it's a challenge." Seto backed off and started toward his limo._

"_What are you doing here anyway?"_

"_As you know the Kaiba Corp building his under construction. I'm rebuilding my staff."_

"_Pass, I'm opening my own place." Yami waved the deed toward him._

"_So I've heard." Seto waved him off. "Good luck."_

"_I don't need it."_

"_Of course not."_

_**---**_

_Yugi stood outside his game shop and let out a long sigh. A "For Sale" sign hung in the front window. This was the end of his childhood and the end of his past. "I'm sorry Grandpa; I kept her open as long as I could." It was bittersweet because he knew he would have to give up the shop to start over, but it felt as if he was leaving his grandfather behind. Yugi let the handle of the door go and gripped tight the little bell that used to hang above the door. _

"_Oh no." in the distance, Yugi could hear the roaring engine of Yami's Lamborghini, seemed to be louder than ever since it was repaired. "Shit." Yugi looked frantically for a place to hide, something he did often when it came to Yami. He just couldn't face him._

_The car pulled up behind him and he could feel Yami's eyes on his back and he froze. "Yugi" his voice was sweet chocolate to his ears. "No place to hide this time?" he said, and Yugi could tell he was smirking. How in the hell did he know everything about him?_

"_I wasn't hiding."_

"_Okay." Yugi furrowed his brow at the nonchalant response. "Get in."_

"_Ha, that's a good one, resorted to telling joke have you?"_

"_I want to talk so get in."_

"_There isn't anything to say." Yugi finally turned around and held his breath at the sight of him. His usual suit was a bit more casual due to the vest he chose to wear. "I mean, there isn't anything you can say to fix this."_

"_Just let me say something, before you completely reject me again."_

"_You broke my heart."_

"_I know. I'm sorry. But I love you."_

"_Oh okay, everything's better now." Yugi rolled his eyes._

"_Please try to understand. I was… I've been in love before. And I know what it's like to be heartbroken. I never meant to get so close to you, you were just a random writer."_

"_When is this supposed to make me feel better?"_

"_Yugi, I don't know what you want me to say, I can't take back all that I've done to you. The only thing I can do is tell you how much you have changed me. Yugi you opened my heart again. I don't know how or when it happened but you are my light and I need you, I love you and even if you reject me now, just know that I will always love you."_

* * *

Yugi drove off with one final glance at the memorial stone his flowers dancing slowly in the cool breeze. "Rest in Peace." He uttered feeling a bit foolish that, that was all he could say. His car rounded the gates of the cemetery and he headed back toward the city. He got out at his destination and let out a sigh. He was late.

He took a breath and pulled open the door before entering. "You're late." Of course his boss would be waiting for him.

"I was at the memorial, I told you that."

"That's not what I mean. Where are the next chapters?"

"I have them." Yugi said.

"Where are they?"

"In here." Yugi tapped on his forehead and his boss shook his head. Yugi knew that wasn't good enough. "You'll have them by the end of the day.

"Slacker." His boss rounded the desk and stood before Yugi tall and proud. "Perhaps I should help you get them down on paper." He said in a husky voice that caused Yugi to shiver.

"Ah-ha, like you said, "Yugi pulled away. "I should get started on those chapters." Yugi pulled back and headed toward his office.

"Get your sweet ass back here." His boss grabbed Yugi's wrist and yanked him back into his arms.

"Mr. Atemu. This is highly inappropriate."

"Is it?"

"Yes." Yugi's voice hitched as Yami grazed a hand over Yugi's cock. "Ah…"

"I love you." Yami whispered in his ear.

"I love…you…too" Yugi panted slightly at the thought of what was to come. Yami tugged on Yugi's hand and pulled him into his office before shutting the door.

Das Ende


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